


Wrong Prints

by FoxlushFox



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blood and Gore, Death, Eventual Romance, Gore, M/M, Mates, Mild Gore, Multi, Other, Werewolf Hunters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-05-18 20:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 50,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19342288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxlushFox/pseuds/FoxlushFox
Summary: Where there are Werewolves, there are equally Hunters.When bodies start appearing savagely mutilated, Roxas starts noticing warnings of a specific wolf involved.One that looks surprisingly like Roxas's wolf. Aside from despising his pack and Alpha, he searches for a way to find out the real wolf involved with the help ofa guy he meets named Vanitas.This is their story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thank you for deciding to give this a shot!  
> Thanks to my darling friends CL Sat [@GayVxnitas] and Tired Artist L [@LaurenHelt] for sharing the prompt in our GroupChat!  
> This goes out to them and to a Sweetbean [@SamIsSuffering] HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS.
> 
> It was to be just a short one and done, but... I've become invested and have plans for 9+ Chapters so hold on to your Vanroku seats and get ready for this  
> roller coaster!

_ The smell of blood was strong, a rust almost coppery smell. Looking down, the boy felt nothing at the moment, his brother’s hand tightly gripping his as they ran. The brother looked back, eyes glistening with fear. ‘We will get out of here’ he mouthed, gazing at the boy’s stomach and paling sickly. The boy let himself be pulled, his legs half running half skipping against the tree roots. His shirt was causing his stomach to feel cold as he was being dragged forward, from the blood seeping down his front, and he felt his heart fluttering. ‘Ven… I don't feel so good’ the boy murmured. Just as his brother whipped around in distress, there was the sound of howls and the pounding of paws against the earth. ‘No!’ the brother cried out, turning to run faster. He felt the boy’s hand getting slippery with sweat, and hot tears spilled down his cheeks. _

 

_ The boy’s shock was starting to wear off and the pain from his stomach became unbearable. With a gut wrenching scream, the boy bent into himself, tripping on a root sticking awkwardly from the ground. The brother looked frantic, rushing to the boy and trying to get him up. ‘Roxas! Roxas we have to go!’ the brother cried, tugging at the boy harder as the cackling calls of lesser wolves started up in the forest behind them. The brother whipped his head around, a terrified look causing his eyes to widen. The boy coughed into his hand, shock running through his body when he saw the blood in his palm. They were young, but the boy was smart, he knew something bad was going to happen to him. But that didn’t mean it had to happen to his brother. With identical tears rushing down his dirt and blood caked cheeks, he looked up at his brother.  _

 

_ ‘No...NO!’ his brother already knew what the boy was thinking, but the boy painfully gestured to his gut. A sob caught in the brother’s throat, another howl erupted, closer now. ‘Go… We don’t both need to die.’ The boy pushed his brother with as much strength as he could, which was admittedly not very much. The brother looked sick, grabbing the boy again. The boy pushed his brother again a little harder and cried out in pain. ‘I LOVE YOU BUT LEAVE.’ The boy sobbed, half through pain half through sadness. The brother screamed up at the tree covered sky. The sound of hungry panting startled both the boys, and the boy gave his brother a pleading look. The brother clawed his fingers into his chest, crying freely. ‘You’re a track runner… go now brother…’ The boy whispered. The brother grabbed the boy then, holding him close to his chest. _

 

_ ‘I love you so much. I’m so sorry.’ The brother sobbed, standing quickly and running as fast as his legs would carry him without looking back. The boy watched his brother, the pain in his stomach becoming unbearable. He pressed his hand into the wound, crying to himself. He was preparing himself to die when he felt the hot breath on his neck. Fear ran through his body and he was frozen, unable to look behind him. He saw a group of wolves starting to run in the direction his brother just went, but the wolf that was directly behind the boy snarled in response. The boy was surprised that the other wolves suddenly stopped, ears laid back. Their sizes were all varying and if he wasn’t about to die, he might’ve found something beautiful and organized about them. His breathing became labored then, his throat tightening. ‘Is this what dying feels like?’ He thought to himself. He heard a huff behind him then, but the world became hazy. The blood loss was finally getting to him, his thought came in passing and he started to slump over, warm arms catching his weakening body before he hit the ground. _

 

_ ‘This one is a strange one… The poison should’ve killed him after a few minutes. But his body is so… enduring.’ The voice was deep, almost haunting, and it lulled the boy into unconsciousness. The man holding the boy, looked down at the small slack face. He could feel the boy’s pulse weaken to the point of death, but after a few minutes his heart restarted with a thunderous feral survival. The man looked up at the other wolves who could hear the strength of the heart beat, and all joined in a howling cry. It was a howl to welcome the birth of a new moonchild. After the welcoming, the man whistled to have the wolves retreat back to the pack, having his second in command, a silver furred beta carry the unconscious boy on his back. ‘What strength that one carries.’ The man mused. He thought about his choice, knowing that keeping the boy alive was probably a mistake, but for now he had no choice. He shifted back into a wolf larger than the rest and after a moment, followed the rest of his wolves to the pack. _

 

Roxas jolted upward clutching his stomach, and his heart hammered at the unsettling memory-dream.  _ Why did I remember that all of a sudden? _ He absently rubbed the three large scars on his stomach before stretching with a growl of pleasure. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed but he stayed sitting, his heart aching in such a way. “Ventus…,” he murmured. He had tried to visit his brother once. Even though the pack leader Xemnas had forbid it, he went anyway and found out the worst possible thing had happened. Ventus had become a well known Werewolf Hunter. He had felt as though he was punched in the stomach, even though he knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. What kid wouldn’t grow up to absolutely hate the thing that in his mind killed his brother? He doesn’t even know that Roxas is alive, but even if he told him now it would have negative consequences.

 

Not only that but, as Roxas had turned around to leave before anyone recognized him, he froze, his eyes finding a flyer on a warning board. It was a photograph of a large wolf, fur pretty identical to Roxas’s. In fact, if he hadn’t known for himself it wasn’t him, he would have been worried. Except, no one else would know that. Fear had risen in his chest, causing a reaction. It was like the wolf in him started to claw at him because of the emotion spike. His enlarging nails had dug into his palms to calm himself and he found himself sprinting for the entrance of the town. He cursed Xemnas and the pack and ran as hard as he could. 

 

That had led to one of the reasons Roxas made the decision to move farther from the town. Especially considering the photograph from the Werewolf Hunters was to warn that there had been murders suddenly popping up. Mutilated humans, savagely torn apart. It had seemed more rogue wolf than anything but Roxas hadn’t realized it had reached this particular town. Xemnas had only mentioned it at a pack meeting vaguely and warned them to stay close for the remaining months for it to pass. When Roxas had gotten home that night to tell Xemnas about what he found, he was humiliated in front of the whole pack as a lesson for disobeying and sent to bed without food.

 

Sitting on his bed now, he looked at the calendar. It had been a few months since then, and the full moon wasn’t for another few weeks. Today he had planned going into a town south of his cabin to check on the status board for any more news on this mysterious rogue wolf. He stood and stretched again, a low groan leaving his lips from his aching bones. He was in his growth spurt in wolf puberty, is what he was told, so his body was making way for his wolf to grow with him. He looked in the mirror, not able to keep himself from staring at the three marks on his stomach before turning away with his eyes closed. He used to resent Xemnas the most for ripping him from his family, now he just resented him for feeling so stuck in his shadow.

 

There was a long howl outside in the forest and a part of Roxas felt an animal urge to respond. The part of him that stubbornly clung to his robbed humanity fought to ignore it. He let himself ignore it, although it took a lot of focus to control and he knew the repercussions would be hell later. He continued to get ready, pulling on a fleece button up and thick pants. He had to keep up appearances, because it was falling into winter time and werewolves had thicker skin than humans. If he was to walk around shirtless, people would recognize that he was inhuman.

 

As he grew older, Roxas learned that more and more people knew about the existence of the werewolves. Some packs were even human friendly and allied with the Werewolf Hunter clans to take down other werewolves. Werewolves like Xemnas’s pack. Werewolves that hunted humans for food and sport still even though times were evolving. Xemnas always taught about the old principles of the Werewolves and how they shouldn’t be ashamed when the hunger arises. It didn’t stop Roxas from keeping to his strict animal diet. He rebelled any moment he got when it came to the pack and Xemnas, much to the dismay and surprise of all the betas and omegas in the pack. No one dared disobey Xemnas, the Alpha and leader, but Roxas did it on a daily basis.

 

There was a knock on the door of his cabin suddenly, and Roxas found himself groaning. From the scent, he just knew it was the second in command beta, Isa. Without awaiting permission, the man let himself in and took one look at Roxas before visibly bristling. He watched Isa count down under his breath, a tool he learned from the man to control any wild emotions that could rouse the wolf from its slumber. “Why do I just know you will be causing trouble again today?” The man spoke when finally calmed, training his sharp eyes on him. Stubbornly, he shrugged with a sudden attitude, not looking at the man. Isa stepped closer, grabbing Roxas’s chin and forcing him to look at the man.

 

“I’m going to a different town, south. It’s out of the way and completely opposite of the Werewolf Hunters clan,” Roxas muttered, fighting the urge to swipe his nails at Isa’s hand. He only fought it because after he woke as a child, Isa was the one who bonded to him and watched over and taught him a lot about being a werewolf. Isa had been young, and especially so for being a second in command. It was his cool demeanor and calculated decisions that really got him there. That and he had never disobeyed anything Xemnas asked of him until Roxas came into the picture. Isa had been the one to carry his newborn self to the pack, and it was Isa that was like a big brother to him. He was overprotective over Roxas in the way a father would their offspring. 

 

It was because of that bond, that Isa’s face was marked. It was supposed to be humiliation, to teach others not to disobey order. But Xemnas had been extra hard on the man because he was expected to be the most loyal. As second in command, he was to be the one that kept order. Roxas blamed himself for that night, left to get a home farther from the pack because of that night. It was because of that night that Roxas still couldn’t look at Isa’s face for too long without the crushing guilt causing him to lose control of his wolf. The man understood, and somehow he knew it hurt Isa just as much that there was nothing he could do to ease the boy.

 

“I did not see you in your home. You will report to Xemnas  _ as soon _ as you get back, and I will have a meal hidden in your microwave because you know you won’t even get scraps for this.” Isa said quietly. Roxas perked up at this, looking at the man with compassion he felt for no other wolf in their pack. He leapt at the man with a laugh and nuzzled his face into Isa’s chest. The man relaxed, gently wrapping an arm around the boy before stepping away with an awkward cough. He looked down and then away, but Roxas smiled at the man knowingly. He was really sticking his tail out for the boy but it just made Roxas respect Isa so much more. 

 

“I swear it! I just really want to get to the bottom of these killings! Hunters almost caught me last time and I hate the feeling that somehow i’m being framed.” Roxas spoke in excitement, following the thought that made his eyebrows furrow in concern. He turned to Isa and the man shook his head, already knowing what the boy wanted to ask. Roxas sighed, only to jump at the sound of another more impatient long howl. Isa cursed under his breath and looked back at Roxas who had such a longing yet tortured distrusting look on his face. The man reached out and pet the soft tuffs of golden hair. Roxas looked up at Isa, and smiled weakly to reassure the other. “It’s okay, I'm getting better about not listening when it’s not super important.” The remark came out confidently, even though the calling from his wolf was urging him to go to the pack.

 

He quickly grabbed his backpack and turned to Isa, a big smile on his face. Isa froze up, the smile was something Roxas only ever showed the man and no matter how bonded, he still wasn’t used to it. The man waved to the boy and watched him leave, completely ignoring an alpha’s order. “You shouldn’t be able to disobey like this… No wonder the omegas and betas get jealous.” Isa murmured to himself, head tilting to hear an impatient howling from Xemnas.

 

-

 

Roxas panted, running for over an hour to get to the southern town. He had scoped out the place a few months ago, and found that other than a separate Werewolf Hunter clan and Werewolves that allied with them, the town was pretty peaceful. Even now, everyone seemed so relaxed considering there were more frequent murders around the land lately. He kept his guard up as he walked through, looking over at the warning board they had posted nearby. He tried to act natural while walking up to the board, but with the lack of interaction with humans since he was a child he knew he seemed pretty awkward and out of place. 

 

“A werewolf visiting the warning board? That’s strange considering you’re not from my pack,” a feminine voice rang out. Roxas jumped and turned quickly, seeing a girl with a long scar down her cheek smiling at him. He blinked at her, instantly smelling the scent of another wolf. He stared at her, trying to calm down, but she only laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you. We just don’t get a lot of outside werewolves here.” Her voice was gentle and her big blue eyes glittered with excitement at the appearance of a stranger.

 

“Well… I'm actually trying to get to the bottom of these murders. But do you mind talking to the other werewolves about keeping the ‘me being a werewolf thing’ a secret?” He looked away as he spoke, not used to being around strangers himself. He was surprised at how honest he was being, but the girl nodded with understanding. It was hard for certain people  _ not _ to know when a werewolf was around, other werewolves can sense each other. She pointed at the board and then at herself.

 

“Actually I may know someone who could use assistance on getting to the bottom of the murders!” She smiled kindly, and Roxas was shocked at what she had just admitted.  _ Really!? _ He jumped at the opportunity and grabbed her hand, a raging excitement surging through him. It took a minute and the wincing look on the girl’s face for him to realize his nails had gotten longer and dug into her hand. He snatched his hand away quickly, holding it to his chest. As the girl licked the small cuts that were already healing, he looked wounded. After a moment the girl touched his shoulder so gently, it reminded him of Isa and he relaxed a little bit. “My brother actually. He’s been very interested lately. Come on, he should be inside making lunch!” The girl took Roxas’s hand back and pulled him off toward her home. The feeling of being dragged along made his heart ache suddenly, remember his dream from this morning.  _ Ventus… _ Thinking about his brother made him stumble, making the girl release his hand to check on him. He waved her to keep going, and after she hesitated a moment, she continued with him following behind her.

 

Once she reached the door, she opened it and moved to the side, inviting him inside. He said a quick thank you, but paused in the doorway. There was a sweet scent that Roxas pinpointed was coming from the kitchen and he found himself rooted to the spot he was in. His heart hammered and a whimper left his lips that made the girl look at him in concern. Before she could ask, a gruff voice rang out from the kitchen, “Xion? Is that you? Lunch is almost ready. I made your favorite, except that idiot farmer was out of…” A guy about Roxas’s age froze in the doorway of the kitchen, obviously not having expected company. Roxas’s eyes darted to the guy’s and his heart beat faster, something animalistic inside him clawing at his insides.

 

“Oh Vanitas! This is a traveler, he was looking into those murders. I told him you were too and figured you two could trade information,” Xion said quickly, trying to break the awkward silence. She smiled widely at her brother, his jaw dropping an inch before he shook his head. The guy ran a hand through midnight spikes and his eyes averted to looking at the ground. Roxas, stuck in one place, breathed in hard and realized the sweet smell was coming from this Vanitas guy. It wasn’t the kind of sweet smell that made someone hungry for food. No this smell meant something far more intimate and instantly Roxas straightened up. He turned as calmly as he could and walked back out of the house, ignoring the girl calling him back. 

 

_ What the hell… get it together Roxas, get it together. Calm down. 10… 9… 8… _ Roxas was pacing in front of the warning board trying to calm the wolf down, when the sweet smell assaulted him again. He looked up instantly to see Vanitas had followed him, though the other looked far more annoyed. The guy opened his mouth to speak, but shut it, only to open it again. He was starting to look progressively more and more annoyed. “What are you doing here?” He finally snapped. Roxas jumped in surprise, not expecting that kind of question. He tilted his head in thought before looking back at the board and pointing at it.

 

“I’m here to find out more about those murders.” His response was so innocent that the guy almost relaxed out of confusion, only to glare at Roxas. He almost reminded him of a moodier Isa, which was saying something considering the latter. Vanitas pointed at the board, suddenly seething which made Roxas flinch in concern.

 

“No I fucking get that, BUT this is my domain. Go the hell back to your clan, Ventus,” Vanitas seethed. Roxas choked instantly at the name of his brother and a panic started to rise in his chest. The wolf was yowling to be released and he took a step back from brooding guy. Why did he think that Roxas was his brother? Yeah they are twins but it’s been ten years. Surely they didn’t look that much alike now that they were older.  _ How does he know Ventus…? _ He started to breathe weirdly and Vanitas’s eyebrows rose in mild concern. “Uh… hey idiot, you okay?” Roxas flinched and looked down at the ground, trying to count down to calm the wolf again. 

 

“Yeah, except my name isn’t Ventus, my name is Roxas.” He looked up at Vanitas, whose eyes narrowed in disbelief. Before he could obviously call Roxas out, he moved closer to the guy and sighed. “You can keep a secret right?” He asked weakly. He wasn’t going to tell Vanitas about the wolf thing but he might as well mention the twin thing. Maybe it would give him the chance he needed to find out more about the murders after this. He gave Vanitas a vague and quick rundown, mentioning that the two boys looked the same because they were twins and that Ventus thinks Roxas is dead, but it’s been so long he wished to keep it that way. The way the other looked at him made Roxas feel self conscious. It wasn’t a look of distrust, but more so disbelief.

 

“You’re supposed to be dead,” Vanitas said frankly. Roxas flinched at the words and looked towards the forest uncomfortably. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say to that considering he wasn’t wrong. It made him wonder if his brother had talked about him. Instead of responding, Roxas walked over to the board to examine it and pointed at the photograph with a prickling feeling crossing over his skin. Dread filled him when he felt the eyes boring into him from behind, but he focused on turning to the side to look at Vanitas. The other could see the visible discomfort but either chose not to ask or didn’t care. 

 

“Has there been any bodies found around here?” Roxas asked, trying to mask the wavering ache of his wolf. Because of his inhuman abilities, he heard the grumble of a warning from the trees and his chest burned with a yearning to obey. He fought against the feeling, biting the inside of his cheek while looking back at the board to scan for any other clues. Vanitas was quiet for some time before considering Roxas. He turned his head to the side to see his sister curiously peeking from the window, her big blue eyes pleading to her brother. Roxas turned to follow his gaze, seeing her look. He laughed softly, knowing that look so well. It’s the look he always gives Isa when he’s begging to get his way. He heard Vanitas groan, wiping a hand down his face before looking at the blond cautiously.

 

“I don’t know what she sees in you, but evidently you don’t have bad intentions so I'll humor you. In exchange, I want you to explain how you are alive, truthfully.” Vanitas paused, watching the look of relief followed by a tortured look wash over Roxas’s face. “We only found one body, but the North clan finds a bunch. So does the Eastern clan. But you know how those pretentious greedy North clan decided they were the main leaders? Well now they have us all on standby and act like they own the place. They hardly associate with us though, which is fine by me. Fuck those guys.” 

 

Roxas was intrigued by that comment and leaned against the board, thinking over what he said. “What do you mean they don’t associate with you guys?” He asked after a moment. Vanitas suddenly looked almost as Isa had this morning and he had to stop himself from laughing. He could see the confusion and slight annoyance in the other and grew serious quickly.

 

“Where have you been? In a cabin hidden in the damn woods or something?” Vanitas’s voice held his annoyance, but his demeanor changed surprisingly quick when he had sent a glare Roxas’s way. Roxas had grown quiet and looked away uncomfortably. He could still feel the eyes of Xemnas on him and he didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble for this town if he could help it. “You really don’t know.” Vanitas muttered incredulously. Roxas looked at him and saw that he honestly believed him this time. The sweet smell wafted off him when a gust of wind hit and Roxas stiffened.  _ Oh… Oh god not again…  _

 

“Kn.. Know what?” He asked after trying to calm down. His wolf was starting to ripple at the surface, awakened and roused with need and hunger. After so many times of trying to hold it back today, it was starting to wear him down. He had never had to wrangle the monster in so many times in a day before. He felt a rumble from his chest vibrate up his throat. He tried to shut it up but it was too late and Vanitas looked right at him with those amber eyes narrowed. Then he surprised Roxas when he cracked a smile and barked a laugh.

 

“Jesus, if you were hungry you could have just said something. C’mon, I’m sure Xion hasn’t eaten the whole meal yet. I’ll explain more inside.” Vanitas turned to walk back to his house, gesturing for Roxas to follow. Heat swirled in his stomach, and he could feel to his dismay a hint of heat in his cheeks. If Vanitas thought that was his stomach growling then he was safe and would accept that. He sent a defiant glare in the direction of the trees and turned on his heels, following Vanitas to his home. He heard the promise of punishment in the growl that was aimed at his back, but this time he kept walking inside without a single pause. A proud feeling fell over him for a moment and he smiled at Vanitas as he closed the door. “What are you smiling for weirdo? It’s just food.” 

 

“Free food is the best food,” Roxas retorted, which caused another laugh to leave Vanitas’s lips. Roxas tried to ignore how much he deeply loved that sound in the moment and turned to see Xion’s wide smile. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and looked almost like a cheshire cat. _She knew…_ _Of course she knew she was a werewolf too…_ He had to bite the inside of his cheek to calm down as she winked at him and ushered him forward into the room. This time the delicious smell was coming from the food laid out on the table. Vanitas made a comment about how a third plate magically found its way to the table and Xion had given him a guilty grin.

 

After they all got situated around the table and started eating, Vanitas looked at his sister for a long while before looking at Roxas. “They don’t like that we ally with certain werewolves.” He muttered it with disgust. He looked away almost like he didn’t want to be seen this way. Roxas felt his chest tighten, understanding suddenly. “The South clan is the only clan of Werewolf Hunters that allies with werewolves because not all of them are bad. And that twerp Ventus and all those morons think that we’re foolish and will die easily because of it.” The disdain in Vanitas’s voice was apparent, but also something else stuck out to Roxas. He watched Vanitas carefully, taking in the way his amber eyes narrowed, they were amber but also gold in the light suddenly. His midnight hair was wild and part of it shielded his eyes when he looked down to eat. 

 

Roxas looked over at Xion and noticed she had fallen silent too, looking as though she had lost her appetite suddenly. Guilt. Roxas realized Vanitas was harboring guilt for something. He looked at the scar running down Xion’s face and it occurred to him that it was possible that something had happened to the two of them, like what had happened to him and his brother. “They all say this? The other hunter clans I mean,” Roxas asked after a few bites of food. Vanitas shrugged absently, stabbing at his food without interest.

 

“Guess so. They’re just mad because we have Xehanort here in agreeance with us. And no offense but Ventus is just mad that he chose me over him as an apprentice, especially after the shit he pulled.” He said the last part with a surprising amount of pride. So much pride that Roxas could hardly feel any offense at the jab toward his brother. It more so pleased him that this guy was obviously a strong one in the ranks. Before he could realize what that thought mean, a cold feeling passed through him. His gaze flew toward hallway just seconds before there was a knock. He noticed Xion also stiffen suddenly, and that’s when Vanitas noticed his sister and stood as quietly as he could. He went to a lower cupboard and grabbed a silver curved dagger, moving the blade to hide it along his inner forearm. “Stay here Shi.” 

 

Roxas stood suddenly, his chair scraping the ground with a high screech. Vanitas wheeled around, sending hateful eye daggers before a sickening familiar voice rang out from outside. “Hello? I just wanted to see if my sibling was around! Golden blond hair, kinda spiky. You see, his brothers and I have been looking everywhere for him because our father needs to speak with him.”  _ Xigbar…  _ Roxas felt sick suddenly, but walked over to Vanitas, gently tapping his arm with reassurance. “It’s kind of important that we hurry along Roxas.” Xigbar added, a hint to his tone that was pleasure for what was to come. Vanitas walked Roxas to the door, a strange look on his face. 

 

“Um, so thanks for the late lunch. It was very delicious,” Roxas said lamely, feeling Xigbar’s impatience from behind the door. Roxas looked up to see Vanitas watching him carefully. The look in his eyes were strangely calming to him and he had to look away before the wolf got excited again. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold it back. He looked back at the kitchen to see Xion standing there visibly uncomfortable with the unwanted guest outside. Roxas waved at her and smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality Xion, Vanitas… And I hope I’m not in too much trouble so I can see you guys again if that’s okay.”

 

As Roxas reached for the door knob, Vanitas took his hand. Roxas froze, unable to breathe but Vanitas hardly noticed as he slid something into his hand. “If you’re serious about the murders then I’m going to be around there later on. Come by.” He said it like it was an order, and something in Roxas’s chest purred.  _ If Vanitas were an Alpha… Oh god no stop! 10… 9…  _ Roxas shook his thoughts away quickly before standing straighter. Vanitas looked concerned all over again about Roxas, but he took in a few deep breaths before half smiling at Vanitas.

 

“Sounds like a plan to me. Maybe you can teach me a few moves,” Roxas murmured before yanking the door open. Xigbar was lounging against the door jam boredly, but when he saw Roxas a wicked grin transformed his face. Xigbar was one of the betas, but he was hardly a good guy. He was one of Xemnas’s closest hounds and it was almost disgusting how much he would do for the Alpha. After the door shut, leaving the two alone, Roxas grew silent and started walking toward the entrance of the town. Xigbar let out a low whistle and caught up to him, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

 

“Ooh man. Do you know what kind of trouble you are in?” Xigbar said with such glee. Roxas tried to shake him off, but the man’s nails dug into his shoulder. “As if. I’m not letting you off that easily pipsqueak. You completely ignored Xemnas. The meeting was such a drag without our adorable baby brother to grace us with his presence.” The tone was rougher this time. Xigbar practically dragged Roxas out of the town and toward the forest where he could just barely make out the shapes of a couple more wolves that had come to wait for him. He sighed in aggravation and dug his heels into the dirt before they made it to the first line of trees.

 

“I’m not a child anymore! And it wasn’t like this meeting was anything special.” Roxas snapped his teeth at Xigbar. He realized his mistake as soon as it happened, and whimpered just as Xigbar snarled and threw him against one of the tree trunks. He pinned him there and growled in such a way that would have made Roxas cower if he wasn’t already pinned to a tree. Xigbar was about to lay into him when a figure came out from behind some trees, forcefully removing Xigbar’s hand from the boy.

 

“I think that will be all for now, Xigbar. We were ordered to obtain him, not maim him,” Isa said coldly, not even giving Roxas a mere glance. He shoved Xigbar back a little harder than necessary and the latter looked both displeased and amused. Isa stood in front of Roxas and bared growing fangs at Xigbar, a sign of higher dominance. Xigbar bristled, snarling in response, stepping up to Isa with a dark smirk. He peeked around him at Roxas and his dark smirk grew wider.

 

“Better thank your  _ Mom _ for coming to the rescue baby  _ brother _ ,” Xigbar growled humorlessly, and forcefully bumped into Isa’s shoulder as he left, causing him to stumble slightly. They heard the shift, and then an ordering growl for the rest to follow him back to the pack while Isa stood silently. The man didn’t look at Roxas until he shakily stood up and started to speak. Isa turned at him, a darkness flickered in his face for a moment before Roxas saw him muttering numbers under his breath.

 

“You  _ saw _ Xemnas looking at you,  _ heard _ him call for you, and yet you  _ still _ disobeyed him.” Isa sounded exasperated. The man raked a frustrated hand through his blue locks and breathed in through his nose for a moment. He turned again, but his shoulders sagged a bit. “Xemnas is expecting you. I asked not to be present for he knows of what happened the last time. So I won’t be there. But come to my cot after and I will see to your wounds.” His voice sounded strained. Roxas’s chest tightened and he reached out to touch Isa’s arm but he stopped himself just as he saw the man tense up. He turned back toward the boy, his eyes empty of any sign of emotion and he shifted his chin toward the forest. A silent order.

 

“I’m…,” Roxas’s voice trailed off and he obediently turned toward the forest. The wolf was begging to be set free after such a long day of being lured to the surface that the shift was much easier. The big golden wolf turned his head toward Isa with a soft whimper, and the man nodded solemnly. He wanted to pad over to the man and nuzzle him for comfort and reassurance, but as he took a step toward him, a long dark howl echoed through him. It was much harder to ignore and with a responding howl back, he sprinted deeper into the forest to his Alpha.

 

When the golden wolf came into view, he was tackled into the dirt roughly and a snarl released from his throat. Xemnas now stood before him, the giant bonfire behind him making him look menacing. He whistled a high note and it was the order for everyone to shift back. One by one, the pack returned to their former bodies. They all had shamelessly satisfied grins on their faces as they peered down at the now shifted Roxas. He groaned, Xigbar’s knee still in his back holding him down. He peered up at Xemnas, and the man glared down at him. “You love to blatantly disobey me child.” His voice came out hauntingly. He took a step forward and motioned for Xigbar to move away from the boy.

 

He reached a hand down to help Roxas up, and he stared at the man’s hand with distrust. The man growled a warning and his hand flew into Xemnas’s. He pulled the boy up easily, and brought his knee up into his stomach with a hard force. Roxas choked on the air that flew from his lungs and he gagged slightly, slumping forward. “I am not done with you,” Xemnas snapped. He motioned for the pack to get in line as he held Roxas up. “One day, you will learn, or the consequences will worsen.” He growled into the boy’s ear before calling the first wolf forward. They chose to lunge and tear at his side, pain blossoming along with the smell of copper. The next up chose an uppercut to his chin, blood exploding into his mouth from accidentally biting his tongue. He howled out but ground his teeth together, spitting the blood on the ground at his feet. He glared up at the next one, who went for a classic side kick to the gut. 

 

Roxas’s scars flared up and he dry heaved from the pressure, snarling in response. After a few more got their ‘fair share’ of punishing him, Xigbar stepped up with a deep laugh. “Hey tiger… how are you feeling?” He grinned with amusement as Roxas gave him a bloodied hateful glare. It was a pitiful attempt considering one of his eyes was swollen shut. It wasn’t permanent, after a few hours the wolf in him would heal all the wounds and they would only be memories after that. Xigbar brought out a blade and shifted the handle in his hand to admire it for a moment. “Since your  _ mommy _ decided he didn’t want a part in this, Xemnas gave me permission to give you one from me  _ and _ Isa.” His grin morphed into a sneer as he contemplated where to do what. Roxas felt a cold sweat suddenly wrap his body and he tried to swallow the fear that clogged his throat. 

 

Xigbar didn’t give him time, he lunged with the knife and it slid in a diagonal streak down his chest. His shirt had already become shreds from all the punishments before this one, thus this particular strike caused a flame to sear him. The pain engulfed him, bringing him close to unconsciousness until he felt the rage of his wolf inside. It clawed against him, snarls erupting from his throat. Before Xigbar had the chance to strike for his second time, Roxas ripped from Xemnas’s grip and shifted. His wolf bared fangs at Xigbar who had become startled at the sudden change. Xemnas remained silent, though he was mildly surprised. The wolf’s hackles raised as he stepped back, a warning to all those who dared try to attack him. Xigbar’s head whipped to Xemnas, and the man gave the other a slight nod. Before he could shift though, Roxas’s wolf lunged, pinning him to the ground as he had done to the boy before. The wolf opened it’s jaw in warning and took Xigbar’s now frantic face into his mouth with a light nip. He was showing dominance and released the man in the same instance. Everything was still for a moment before the golden wolf snarled viciously at all who dared to follow and turned, sprinting off into the forest.

 

He heard the sounds of disbelief and anger but also heard Xemnas settle them. It was rare that the Alpha didn’t have them chase him but he didn’t care. He shut down as much as he could and just ran. It wasn’t until the coppery smell of blood mixed with a very familiar smell hit his senses did he slow down and realize he had managed to make his way to the North town forest line. The blood smell was getting stronger and as feral as he was feeling, he wanted to find the source. He didn’t have to walk too far to find it either. A mutilated limb lay a couple yards from it’s partial body. It was missing parts to it, but those parts didn’t seem to be anywhere nearby. The wolf huffed in disgust, having grown accustomed to the animal diet quite well.

 

“I just knew you’d come back for more.” A menacing voice called up from a tree. The wolf’s head swung in the direction of the voice and instantly crouched low, a soft moan leaving its chest. Ventus stood on a tree limb, his features dark and full of hatred of the wolf in front of him.  _ If only he knew… _ Roxas thought inside. He didn’t like the way his brother was looking at him, and his energy spike from before was starting to leave him. “I will end you where you stand, once and for all mongrel,” He shouted, pointing a barrel his way. Roxas’s wolf was on his feet instantly, a growl rumbling. He scratched the ground and snapped his teeth at Ventus in warning, but of course his brother wouldn’t know communication of wolves. Instead he heard the click of a bullet sliding into place, ready to go. As he raised the gun again, he aimed it at the wolf with no emotion at all.

 

The pain Roxas felt caused the wolf to howl suddenly, with agony. Ventus was caught by surprise and his finger pulled the trigger from the jump. As it fired, the wolf jumped back, just barely being grazed across the cheek. The bullet left a sizzling heat that caused the wolf to snap with anger. Roxas forced himself back though, inhaling sharply and reminding himself that it was his brother, and he didn’t know any better. As Ventus scrambled to load his gun again, the wolf let out a long melancholy howl goodbye before sprinting off into the woods. Behind him bullets flew past wildly, Ventus screaming with all his might, wishing just one would hit it’s intended target. Roxas’s chest ached, the wolf letting out a mourning howl as he ran as fast as his long legs would take him. He weaved around trees carefully, taking a rounding route toward his home just in case somehow someone was following his trail.

 

When he reached the clearing where his house sat, he shifted back and collapsed on the ground unconscious. Isa stepped off the porch in quick strides to get to Roxas. He knelt down when he reached him and inspected the damage. Some of the cuts and wounds were already sealed and bruising, the one on the boy’s chest still bled from the type of blade Xigbar had used. Though how he had gotten a Hunter's blade was beyond him. He felt that paternal anguish, bringing the boy closer to him in a protective hold and snarling at the forest beyond. He knew Xemnas was there watching. He didn’t care. He wasn’t disobeying anything by taking care of the child bestowed to him. If anything it was Xemnas’s fault that night when he laid the child on him. How was he to know that the child and him would bond?

 

Isa wrapped his arms under Roxas’s unconscious body and stood carefully, turning to bring him into the cabin and dress his wounds. He heard a shift and the crunching sound of dead leaves being stepped on. He paused, but didn’t turn around. “You always have such a soft spot for the boy. But what will happen if one day he is gone?” Xemnas’s deep voice rang out from the tree lining. Isa remained silent. They both knew what would happen, Isa didn’t have to say it and Xemnas didn’t need to ask. But this was his own punishment for not being involved in the punishment of the child in his arms. The one who was pretty much his son. He started to walk again, holding Roxas more protectively to his chest. He reached the door to the cabin, and finally called over his shoulder.

 

“Then you’d have to kill me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas's point of view// His and Xion's beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AS PROMISED! Chapter 2 Thank you for being patient. I do want to add that there are some gruesome moments in this chapter so please keep that in mind as you read!  
> Thank you for all the support thus far <3

_ It wasn’t until he heard a strange sound of crunching did the boy pause at his desk. He laid the book he was reading down and held his breath to hear better, only to jump out of his seat. He had heard his baby sister scream, followed by a hungry snarl. Quickly he swung his door open, stopping at the sudden strong smell of death that assaulted his senses. Something swirled in the pit of the boy’s stomach then. It crept up his legs and rooted him where he stood. ‘I can’t breathe…!’ the boy thought frantically. He begged his legs to move forward, the crunching noises becoming more like slurps, and he started to cry. Tears overflowed, running down his cheeks and he began to shake violently. ‘What is that noise, mom… dad…?’ He choked from a hiccup in his breathing, the smell becoming overwhelming. His small stomach churned with disgust, the urge to vomit becoming strong. _

 

_ Then he heard his baby sister scream again and something crashed in the room ahead of him. It was enough to break the roots of fear from his legs and he ran as fast as he could, ramming his shoulder into the door to bust it open. He had his eyes closed when he flew into the room, but he knew the source of the smell was here. Opening them he felt all the blood leave his face, the knot in his stomach becoming a vice of such strength. It was like the breath was knocked out of him. A whimper caused his head to whip away from the scene, finding a large wolf standing over his sister. ‘Xion!’ He didn’t wait to react, something in him snapped in that moment and he grabbed the first thing he could find. He took the lamp and slammed it into the wolf’s head with a child’s warcry. _

 

_ The wolf gave a slight yelp, stumbling startled into the fire place and regained it’s barings before turning toward the children. The little girl had blood seeping from a cut that ran from her temple to her chin in a crescent shape, so the boy ripped his shirt off quickly and threw it to her as she scrambled toward him. He pulled his sister behind him, puffing out his chest with an angry glare. Before the wolf could attack though, there was a gunshot and blood began to form in the side of the wolf at the same time that an arrow embedded itself in its neck. The wolf thrashed wildly, snarling and howling. Suddenly, a black wolf slammed into the wolf, its jaw clenching the other wolf before a sickening snap caused the boy to cringe back. The sounds around the boy became warbled then, he had his sister in his tight grasp and had noticed some Werewolf Hunters running about in their living room. The leader of the South clan Xehanort walked up to the two children, his grave eyes holding a sadness in them. ‘To the union, your parents will forever be remembered.’ _

 

_ Xehanort had noticed how the boy’s sister cried, holding a bloodied shirt to her face and a darkness formed in his face. ‘Eraqus, come here a moment old friend,’ The man said. The boy watched the black wolf shift into a man with equally black hair, walking toward them. The boy began screaming, startling both men and his sister in his arms. He screamed so loud and full of anguish that the two men stood silently, letting the boy vent out such strong feelings. The sister was discarded suddenly as the boy sprung at the black wolf man, swinging wildly at his stomach. The screams began to turn into sobs, but Eraqus only let the boy hit him, allowing him to release the rightful hurt at the only thing that made sense. The boy swung once more before two strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him up. The boy kicked and screamed, but the warmth of the arms holding him was familiar and in his fit he looked back to see his uncle. The tears in the man’s eyes matched the boy’s, and as the boy settled in his arms, a fresh stream of tears started. The black wolf man knelt to his sister, pulling the bloodied shirt away from the cut. _

 

_ ‘Doesn’t look good, Xeha,’ the wolf man said, looking at Xehanort with concern. The sister fainted then, Eraqus catching her with a quick reflex. The boy started to scream again, wiggling from his uncle’s grip frantically. ‘What did you do to her?! What did you do?!’ The wolfman paid him no mind, moving his ear near the girl’s chest. The boy stilled with fear, watching his sister’s chest rise and fall slower and slower. The ache in his chest was immaculate, shredding the walls of his heart and he went silent. His uncle tried to cover his eyes but he held the hand away, watching his sister intently. His breath caught in his throat when her chest stopped moving completely and for a moment the room was completely silent besides the Hunters shuffling around the house. Then he watched as his sister’s body gave a jolt before her chest began to rise and fall again. ‘She is going to need a teacher,’ Xehanort said quietly. The boy looked at each of the men, a confusion settling over his very young mind. _

 

_ ‘Why does she need a teacher? Uncle… why does Xion need a teacher?’ The boy turned to look at his uncle, whose face was guarded with a dark look. The wolf man stood with the girl, cradling her gently. He wouldn’t look at the boy and Xehanort looked at the carcass of the big wolf by the fireplace. It was his uncle that spoke the words, and the boy felt his skin go cold. ‘She has been reborn… as a moonchild.’ The words seemed to sink in, but the boy couldn’t wrap his head around the idea. ‘How could she be a moonchild? She is mom and dad’s child.’ The boy’s thoughts were expressed out loud, and as if searching for the two for confirmation, he peered behind his uncle before the man could stop him. _

 

_ He had seen them when he first came into the room. Of course he had, but in the moment he saw the wolf over his sister he had forgotten everything prior. The smell of blood and death mixing in the room. He had been in such shock that his mind had tried to ignore what was all around him. His parents. His once beautiful mother was strewn across the living room, her top half ragdolled along the couch. She held such fear and sadness permanently frozen on her scarred face. Her bottom half had been torn from her body, laying a few feet from there and he saw an arm that had been clutching one of the legs. The familiar ring on the hand caused him to visibly shake. It was his father’s arm. He scanned the room with widened young eyes, and there he found him. His father, the face missing chunks and his stomach torn open with half chewed organs and entrails scattered around the area not too far from their original home. The bloody trail told the boy that the wolf had dragged his father over there away from his mother. _

 

_ It was that moment when something snapped inside. As his uncle realized where he was looking, the man turned him away but it was too late, the damage was already done. ‘I’m so sorry Vanitas… I didn’t get here fast enough. God I’m so sorry.’ He heard the sob in his uncle’s voice. He looked up at his uncle but he found himself shutting down. His whole world seemed to alter, even at the age of nine he felt his world shifting. ‘A moonchild.’ He thought to himself, thinking of his sister with a burning sensation. Xehanort stood beside the two and gently pat his uncle’s shoulder. ‘Riku… They would have wanted you to care for them.’ He said it softly. The boy reached up to his eyes but to his surprise, all his tears dried up. He looked up at his uncle and moved out of his grasp. When he landed on his feet he looked up at the men and then to his uncle’s dismay he surveyed the room with dead eyes.  _

 

_ ‘Well we are going to have to clean this up,’ The boy said frankly. The men exchanged expressions of mild surprise. Xehanort moved to the boy and cautiously laid a hand to his shoulder. ‘How about… we go find your sister? Then, while the clan cleans up you can keep her company. She is really going to need you.’ The man’s voice was attempting to soothe but when he turned his eyes to Xehanort, the man took a step back in intrigued surprise. He moved around Xehanort to the limb attached to his mother’s leg and gingerly slid the wedding band off. He heard a strangled noise come from his uncle, but the boy seemed completely shut off from the scene. He walked up to his mother, and a gust of air was taken from him. He stood there staring at the ocean eyes devoid of any life, and a small part of him awakened. His hand shook as he reached to touch her hand with much more care than he had with his father’s hand. When he felt the ice cold skin, his hardened shell slipped. A moan of pure agony left his young lips, and he held her hand for a moment. He felt the strong tide of emotions crash over him, his chest growing tighter. As a single tear broke free, it landed on her hand next to his thumb and it reminded him why he had come here. He lifted his mother’s hand as if it was made of the most breakable glass, and slid her wedding band off. _

 

_ ‘For Xion.’ He didn’t recognize the voice that came out of him. He just stared at the wedding bands in his hands and thought about his mother. She was the most gentle woman of anyone in their town. He may have been biased due to her being his mother, but he loved her so much. The way she would hold him when he had nightmares, the way she would bring him and Xion into her arms and flutter kisses over them as they shared laughter. His father had always been hardworking, especially to keep the town safe with Leader Xehanort and his uncle. But that never stopped his father from coming into his room at night to say goodnight and kiss his forehead. Some nights, he pretended to be asleep so that he could hear the gentle whisper of his father and know how much the man cared for him and Xion. It wasn’t until he realized his uncle was kneeling and hugging him tightly that he noticed he was sobbing. He tried to fight it, tried to push away from his uncle and shut down again, but the man held tighter. ‘I’m so sorry Vanitas. It’s okay to cry… it’s okay. I swear to you, I'm never going to leave you guys alone again. I will protect you for Sora and Kairi. We will get through it together.’  It was the night that drove Vanitas to become a Hunter, the night that everything was taken from him. His parents, his innocence, and his sister’s humanity. _

 

_ Xehanort had told him he had to wait until he was ten before he would allow him to train with him. It was to give him time to mourn and he knew it, but as soon as he turned ten he was at Xehanort’s door. He had dropped Xion off with her teacher, Eraqus, and was looking expectantly at the man with a glint of stubbornness. Xehanort had laughed and invited him in, and that was when he had met the hateful Ventus. The boy looked about how he did, but something was off about him. Ventus glared hatefully at him and he had only just met him. ‘So this is the child you’re going to train instead of our son?’ A strong feminine voice said, startling him. He turned to see two angry looking adults, moving around to glare at him just as their son had. ‘Do you even know what Ventus went through? You are the best teacher and he wants the best. What dirt does this child’s family have on you that you can’t turn him away?’ The man beside the woman said. Xehanort’s eyes flickered to his in a silent apology but he only shrugged. _

 

_ ‘Terra… Aqua… surely you recognize this child?’ The Leader said in a cool voice. The two adults looked at him then, their eyes scanning every inch of him and they looked rather unimpressed. He gave them a look that mimicked theirs and they looked affronted. They sent their glares back at Xehanort who had chuckled softly. He felt cold daggers from Ventus and sure enough when he looked back at the other, he was giving him the death stare. He recognized that look though, and he took a step closer out of curiosity.  _

 

_ ‘You’ve lost something too.” He said it in a matter of fact voice which made the anger on Ventus’s face melt away into surprise for a moment before the anger came back ten fold. He stood his ground, glaring back now that he knew they were on the same level. Xehanort was watching the boys with mild interest when he had an idea. Turning to the other two adults, he waved a hand at the boys. ‘Why not have them go through a sparring match to see which one is more deserving of the spot?’ It peaked the interest of Aqua and Terra, and they considered it before agreeing. Xehanort had given the two boys a day to prepare so Ventus and his parents hurried to leave and get ready. When the boy looked up at Xehanort, he had a wicked smile on his face. ‘They will learn, won’t they Vanitas? You will do your best, you’ve been awaiting this day to protect your sister.’ The Leader’s voice was almost full of pride. He held up the wedding band on a chain around his neck and a tight vice gripped his heart for a moment before he breathed through it and gave Xehanort a confident nod. _

 

_ When he got home, a fast blur leapt at him. His sister held him around his neck and hung there, giggling happily. ‘Brother! I can control the doggie!’ She said proudly, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. He looked down at her and wrapped her in a hug, bringing her close. He wouldn’t say it out loud yet, but she knew he was proud of her. The first year for her was a hard one. The full moon would cause her to convulse in pain because she wasn’t a natural born and she had been so young her body was having to play catch up with her wolf. Her teacher Eraqus spent months in their home, helping his sister in secret and teaching them both about how werewolves could evolve into society if the other packs would just give up human feeding. He felt uncomfortable at first when his sister first started feeling hunger, but to his surprise she never attempted to harm him or another human. He was proud of her willpower and grateful for Eraqus for being there when she needed it. _

 

_ ‘You smell like you need a bath. Go on, don’t huff at me miss,’ He said playfully, releasing his sister so she could let go. She stubbornly held on and he sighed with a soft laugh, walking her toward the bathroom himself. His sister squeaked with betrayal, hopping away from him and scurrying toward her room. He heard the light thud and smiled wide when he saw his uncle holding her under his arm with a heavy sigh. ‘I’ve been looking for this runt since we got back. She’s been refusing the bath lately,’ Riku said. He added with a laugh, ‘She definitely got that from Sora.’ This also made the boy laugh. It had become easier to talk about his parents in the past year, and it was nice to have his uncle there to remind them of what great parents they really were. However, he felt bad because some days, he would catch his uncle looking at both of them with such agony and regret. He just knew they had to remind him of his two closest friends. But he was also happy, because that just meant his uncle would always have them, and they would always have him. _

 

_ The next day he was getting ready to spar with Ventus. They waited in a giant sparring square, both equipped with a wooden stick shaped like a blade. He felt strange familiar anguish again coming from the other boy and he gave him a look. Ventus glowered at him and turned his head away, making him laugh to himself. ‘What a child…’ He thought to himself before reminding himself that he also was a child. Xehanort walked out from the house with Ventus’s parents in tow and gestured at the boys. They looked at each other, and then nodded civilly. ‘Today you will spar. The first one to be knocked out of the box wins. You will not aim to kill or injure, remember that.’ The voice Xehanort had sounded like it was directed at Ventus and the boy sent a glare to him. _

 

_ There was a still moment of silence before Xehanort gave the signal and the two boys were off. Ventus swung first, but Vanitas figured the other would and ducked low. Turning his wooden sword, he shoved the hilt into Ventus’s stomach. The other boy gasped out as air left him for a moment, but Ventus rebounded quicker than he had expected the other to do, and as he hurried backwards he was clipped in the shoulder by the wooden sword. Ventus sneered, swinging out his leg to hook the boy’s from behind. As he hit the ground, he rolled with quick reflex and swung his wooden sword at Ventus’s shin. The other gave a yelp before turning sharply, wooden swords connecting together. He watched his foot almost touch the outside line and moved with their swords tightly fighting each other for dominance. He took a deep breath, eyeing the other boy who was too caught up in winning that he forgot what the rules really were.  _

 

_ He watched Ventus struggle with his strength, and he threw the other boy off before rolling the blade, knocking the sword out of the other’s hand. He grinned, moving at Ventus and with a strong shove, the other boy was knocked out of the lines. ‘I won,’ he said simply, throwing the wooden sword on the ground at Ventus’s feet. His parents squawked in argument but Xehanort only laughed with amusement. The boy was uninterested in hurting a person over a wolf, so he only shrugged while the other fumed. He heard a squeal suddenly and something jumped on his back. With a laugh, the boy shifted his sister to his front and hugged her, watching his uncle join them. _

 

_ ‘Oh did we miss it? Sorry we really tried to make it in time,’ his uncle had said, looking to the boy on the ground, then back to him. ‘I’m guessing you won?’ His uncle asked with a smile. He puffed out his chest with a small bit of pride, and his uncle ruffled his hair before joining Xehanort and the outraged parents. ‘You did it!’ His sister cooed, rubbing her face against him. Her eyes shifted to look behind him, suddenly bristling and growling. He held her at arms length in shock, but she snarled and hopped over his shoulder with such speed it knocked him forwards onto the ground. He barely had time to turn to see Ventus holding the wooden sword mid swing at him, the other’s eyes were wide and locked onto his sister. His sister was crouched behind him, snarling at Ventus but keeping control as she protected him. He felt warmth in his heart for a moment before he noticed the growing hatred in the other boy’s face. He felt a cold dread wash over him. _

 

_ ‘She’s a werewolf.’ Ventus spat the words out. The adults all fell silent suddenly. Everything happened so quickly; His uncle could hardly move, the two parents instantly went for weapons hidden on their persons, and for the first time ever he saw Xehanort’s eyes widen in alarm. He had frozen again just like a year ago, rooted by fear. Finally he found his barings and screamed just as one of Ventus’s parents threw a curved knife at his sister. A familiar black wolf snatched the handle of the blade, skidding to a stop over her protectively while dropping the weapon on the ground. Ventus’s father rushed at the black wolf with a vengeance, but Xehanort stepped in front of him, his face dark. The black shifted into a tall man, shielding both the boy and his sister as his uncle came to their sides in a panic. Terra and Aqua gave Xehanort bewildered stares, staying in position to kill. Ventus stood limply beside his mother with an empty stare in their direction. _

 

_ ‘You have a young werewolf here? And him, lying to us about being human this whole time!’ Aqua said with acid in her tone. She had her blade at the ready, not taking her eyes off the black wolf man. The boy watched, standing up and pulling his sister closer to him, sending a hateful glare Ventus’s way. If it hadn't been for Ventus trying to attack him when his back was turned, the black wolf man and his sister’s secret wouldn’t be out. Ventus met his glare, something in his face flashing with hate. He watched the other boy spit on the ground at them and felt anger bubble up in his chest. ‘Not all werewolves are evil. In fact, we have allied with them here. He trains the child to feed off animals and to protect the humankind here.’ Xehanort’s voice held warning. The disgust in Terra and Aqua’s face became evident as Eraqus moved to stand beside Xehanort to show peace. ‘You were supposed to be better than this. To think that the South clan has been hanging around these monsters,’ Terra spat. _

 

_ The boy watched the adults and their tense stances. Ventus’s parents unsure of the move they should make; his uncle, Eraqus, and Xehanort standing their ground. When he looked back at the boy, Ventus was running at them with a glimmer of a blade in his hand. He was aiming for his sister, and quickly, before anyone could act, the boy shielded his sister with his body and felt the white hot sting of the blade being driven into the flesh under his rib cage. Time seemed to stop in that moment. His eyes looked down at his sister, whose eyes were wild and wide with agony. He heard the shouting of adults but couldn’t move to see what had happened. Instead he stood there, his eyes searching his sister’s for some answers even though she was still only six. She opened her mouth and he knew she must have been starting to cry but he couldn’t hear her. He realized he couldn’t hear much of anything as a wave of nausea hit him like a punch to the gut.  _

 

_ He was just able to move his head around his sister when he vomited all his stomach's contents next to her. The heat was flooding his whole back until it felt like he was on fire, and his vision blurred a bit as he sank to his knees. ‘You… okay?’ He managed to ask his sister. The last thing he saw as he fell to his side was the rather shocked look on Ventus’s face as his uncle had him pinned to the ground, mouth opened in an angry scream, the other adults trying to get him off the child. Then as Eraqus knelt to him, his vision went black. That was the last time the North clan ever associated with the South clan. They had decided to let the South clan have their ‘monsters’ in exchange that they would be at fault for whatever happens if the Werewolf Allies were to turn on them.                    _

  
  
  


Vanitas sat at his desk, looking outside his bedroom window at the setting sun absently.  _ If Roxas really is who he says he is, why doesn’t he want Ventus to know?  _ “He’s such a weirdo.” He sighed, rubbing a tired hand down his face. He thought about the blond, remembering how awkward he seemed. He seemed so lost and yet so aggravatingly calculated. His accent was a strange one he couldn’t place, and if he had paid more attention to it when they first met, he would have noticed it was different than Ventus’s. He looked down at the book laying face down on the desk, remembering the last time he read it. He was reaching to pick the book up, when a low moaning howl resonated through his window.

 

Hearing howling normally would have had Vanitas out the door and searching for the source, but there was something so heartbreaking about this particular howl. It was familiar and broken, causing Vanitas to close his eyes and hold his hand over his heart with a strange growing ache in it. He heard his door creak open, and when he opened his eyes again Xion stood in the doorway. He jumped up in surprise when he noticed how tears were falling in droplets along her cheeks and she flew at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Another surge of sadness washed over him as another howl broke through, this one oddly striking him in a way that made him want to cry himself. 

 

“He is in so much  _ pain _ ,” His sister sobbed, her knees weakening in his grasp. He held her up and confusion went through his thoughts.  _ He…? He who? _ He reached to pet his sister’s soft soot hair and hummed softly to ease her. She shook gently in his arms and he held her closer, moving her to sit on his bed with him. She cried until she wore herself out, and when he felt her go still, he knew she had fallen asleep. He carefully moved to adjust her on his bed better and covered her up, lightly brushing away stray hairs from her tear stained cheeks. She murmured sadly in her sleep but cooed when Vanitas ran a cool hand through her hair. He sat next to her for a moment longer before standing, walking silently out of the room to pace in the living room. The howling seemed to stop, which caused Vanitas to stop and look out the living room window. He waited a few minutes longer in silence to see if the howl would return. Something like a strange anxiety swirled in the pit of his stomach, making him hum in frustration.

 

For some reason, it made him think of Roxas. Something about the way Roxas left was just off. Vanitas had seen the look on his face when he opened the door. Like he was trying to hide the fact that he was reluctant to leave. And he should have stopped him as he did. In a way, it was like he tried when he slipped Xehanort’s location card in his hand. That hand that felt so weirdly clammy even though it was warm. He just let him leave then, and Xion looked like she was about to tell him off. She started acting weird after that, watching them leave from the window in the living room.  _ “I don’t like that man, Vani,” _ she had declared with a weird distrust in her tone. He knew to trust her of course, but somehow he already knew that man was trouble. 

 

It made Vanitas hope that Roxas would show up to the training grounds. He paced the living room for an hour longer before his uncle shuffled in, tiredly. “You’re still awake?” He asked mildly, rubbing his scruffy grey beard. Vanitas shrugged stubbornly and pointed at the kitchen, stifling a yawn. “Oh, you guys didn’t have to leave me any food,” his uncle replied, but the gratitude was apparent in his voice, which was the reason he always made sure to leave leftovers out. The man set his gear down and stretched with a groan. “We have a meeting in the Eastern town, me and Xehanort, so hold down the fort while I'm gone. Should only be for a couple weeks.” He smiled, giving Vanitas’s hair a ruffle. He slapped the hand away lightly, looking away with a soft huff of embarrassment. 

 

“Yeah, yeah. Go eat something old man. Don’t need you keeling over on your trip. I’m crashing on the couch, Shi has taken my bed over for the night,” he said, giving his uncle a sideways glance. His uncle smiled a bit, walking over to his room to check on Xion for a moment. When he gently closed the door again he gave Vanitas a small smile. “You’re such a good brother. Get some sleep then kid,” His uncle said, patting his shoulder on the way to the kitchen. He watched his uncle disappear through the doorway before turning to the couch, thinking about Roxas once more.  _ He better show up tomorrow. I have questions, especially if he wants to know more about the killings he seems so interested in… _ He lay back on the couch, one arm under his head as a pillow and closed his eyes, remembering the agonized howl. He fell asleep to a clenching in his chest.

 

-

 

For the next few days, Vanitas had his ass handed to him during training. It was because he was constantly looking around for the mysterious blond that waltzed right into his life. He was starting to get nervous about the way he looked when he was leaving the house, and wished he had tried to get Roxas to stay longer. Finally someone who wasn’t Ventus had wanted to find out about the murders, and he didn’t seem like such a bad guy either. Xion had taken to him quite fast, and if he was being honest, he also felt a weird ease after the kid introduced himself. _ Roxas. _

 

Vanitas found himself winded, laying on his back again. The trainee standing over him looked apologetic and offered him a hand up but he refused, standing up stubbornly and dusting himself off. He deserved that one. “Let’s try that again, hand to hand. Come at me,” He ordered the trainee, coaxing the boy with a hand gesture. Just as the boy came at Vanitas, fist pulled back, he saw a golden color at the corner of his eye and turned to see Roxas. Before he could call out to him, he was punched square in the jaw, causing him to stumble in the direction he had been looking. Blinking stupidly, he looked over at the trainee frantically gesturing apologies, but he held his hand up to stop the boy. He rubbed his jaw, wincing slightly.  _ Damn that kid has a good punch. _ He waved the trainee to take a break and hopped down from the training box, beelining for Roxas whose dopey eyes watched his every movement.

 

As Vanitas got closer, he stopped. On Roxas’s face, there were small scars from cuts and soft discolored spots that usually came from healing bruises. There was a scar across his cheek that looked grazed, and when the blond waved sheepishly, his loose shirt bunched out and Vanitas saw the tip of a fresh pink scar starting at his collarbone. He stormed over to Roxas and gripped his shoulders, shaking him. “Where the fuck have you been?” The blue eyes that looked up at him were startled, and when he realized what he was doing he released Roxas immediately and looked away. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before looking at the blond again. “Took you long enough to show.” This brought the sheepish look back to the blond’s face and he watched him stroke the new scar on his cheek absently.

 

“Sorry. I had planned on coming sooner but there was… a family emergency.” They both knew he was lying with the lame way he responded, but he let it go for now. He gestured at the sparring box, looking at Roxas curiously. “If you’re asking me if I’ll spar with you, the answer is no. I’m here to learn more about those murders,” Roxas said defiantly, much to Vanitas’s surprise, and he found himself smiling with a soft laugh.  _ He definitely isn’t like that jackass Ventus. How can they even be twins? _ He thought to himself, removing his sparring gloves.

 

“What are you too chicken?” Vanitas taunted playfully. He caught himself in the act, turning away quickly. He scrubbed a hand down his face and placed his gloves on the supply table next to them. He heard Roxas mutter,  _ ‘You wish…’ _ and he turned around with a chuckle. “C’mon chicken, let’s go. I wanted to check out the woods today anyway. Someone said they found markings of fresh blood.” Roxas nodded in agreement, turning to start towards the gate entrance. Vanitas watched the blond with amusement and he jogged up to the blond’s side to catch up. 

 

“You…thanks for letting me come,” Roxas mumbled to his surprise and he turned his head to look at him. Something about the way the blond looked screamed misery, and that resonated with Vanitas. As they got to the treeline, he watched Roxas pause. “We should go this way maybe?” He pointed northeast with a tilt to his head. He looked in the direction that the blond pointed in and nodded in agreement. They started off in that direction in silence. The woodland animals caught Roxas’s attention every so often but Vanitas thought it was strangely humorous. He also would occasionally look into a section of trees, and a look of surprising annoyance would fill his features. The blond had caught him looking after a while and they both looked away. Vanitas had noticed in the silence that the animals would get chattering as they got further into the forest. Birds and squirrels cooed at them as they passed, and after what felt like forever of walking, Roxas murmured. “I was… taken in by my now adopted family. I had been left for dead, well I told him to leave me. I had… er, been attacked by an animal when we were playing in the woods. He wouldn’t understand if he saw me now.”

 

“What?” Vanitas stared blankly at Roxas for a moment, wondering what that random comment was about, but then he remembered the deal from before. He looked down at the ground in front of him, stepping over roots that were trying to escape the earth and thought about what the blond just told him.  _ It sounds true for the most part. At least Ventus always used to ‘woe is me’ about a dead brother. But I feel like he’s still hiding something from me. _ He ran a hand through his midnight spikes with slight irritation, but reeled the feeling back.  _ Well I can’t really be mad, he did tell me most of it after all. _ “That was so fucking random. But thanks, Goldie.” Roxas seemed to cringe at the sudden nickname, looking over at Vanitas with a face that made him laugh out loud. Roxas seemed to relax at the sound of the laugh, and smiled himself.

 

“No problem, Anger Management,” Roxas said teasingly with a laugh. Vanitas felt himself deadpan at that moment, only to find himself laughing again with Roxas’s infectious laugh. They’d only been walking around in the forest for under an hour, and already he felt so relaxed with the blond. Almost too relaxed. After they calmed down, he surveyed the woods carefully. “What about you?” the blond inquired, kicking a fallen tree limb that was in front of him. Vanitas turned to him for a moment, before weighing the options.  _ I mean, he did tell me things. _ He walked a little farther in silence, before he stopped for a moment. Roxas seemed distracted at first, so when he turned around in confusion, he couldn’t help but laugh at the blond’s face and sit down. He patted the spot next to him and waited for the blond to make his way over.

 

“What is there really to say…? My parents were killed by a wild Alpha when I was nine. It’s just me and Xion and our uncle. He’s out a lot though. I’ve been training under Leader Xehanort for nine years and evidently I am a pretty great Werewolf Hunter.” Vanitas said the last part with pride. When he looked at Roxas, he frowned at first. The blond had gone pale and looked off into the forest blankly for a moment like he was having an internal battle with himself before shaking his head and turning back to him with a sad smile. The scarred cheek was closer to Vanitas now, the smile making it crease. The fact that such a scar even existed on the blond’s face suddenly made him burn with a strange rage in his chest. He lifted his fingers absently to the scar, but stopped inches from the skin when he saw the blond flinch. The fear had been immediate. “Who did this to you…? Are your  _ brothers _ treating you okay?” He didn’t recognize the voice that came out of him, but it was dark and demanding.

 

Roxas leaned away from him, standing quickly while brushing off the dirt that clung to his pants. “It’s nothing, I fell because I'm clumsy. Lets…” Roxas had trailed off, his eyes trained further in the forest. Vanitas started to argue how stupid that explanation was, when the blond shushed him with a growl. Then the guy took off, startling him. He jumped up and followed Roxas as fast as he could manage. After a few minutes of running, the two guys came to a small opening and both came to a stop.  _ Shit…  _ “Shit,” Roxas whispered as if he could read Vanitas’s thoughts. Right in front of them lay an upper torso, still pumping blood from the severed rest of the neck. Blood also pooled from an empty arm socket and a large chunk from the left leg that was missing from something. “Should we report this?” Roxas managed, with what Vanitas thought was an unsettled swallow. He looked at the blond before looking back at the body.

 

“Maybe we should, let’s mark our way back so we can find our way back here with reinforcements,” Vanitas said, in full Hunter mode. Roxas nodded in agreement and looked surprised when he brought out a brightly colored tape from his pocket. He grinned, waving the roll of tape enthusiastically. “Never leave without it just for instances like this.” He winked at Roxas, but froze when he noticed the blond’s cheeks color softly. He shook his head pretending he didn’t notice and turned quickly, going for the first tree to mark. “If we mark a few trees at a time, we should have a perfect trail leading back.” He glanced back at the blond, noticing how he was no longer flushed with some kind of embarrassment, but looking off into the forest. Something about his expression was familiar. It was like the time when his ‘brother’ came to get him, Roxas’s face radiated an angry fear that Vanitas couldn’t figure out. He tapped the blond’s shoulder, and the other jumped at the connection.

 

“We need to get out of here,” Roxas whispered, his eyes trained on the spot he had been staring at. Vanitas nodded, thinking he meant getting back to report the body. The blond looked nervous, like he thought the wolf was going to come back, and he nudged him. A low howl sounded around them and he looked to Roxas, half tempted to find the source. The other half took one look at the blond and something in him said it was a bad idea. “Let’s go,” The blond said in a strange voice. He turned and moved like he was forcing himself away.  _ Had he also wanted to find the source? But he looked like he was holding something back, like he was uncomfortable. _ Vanitas followed him quickly, taping the trees every so often to mark where they had been. They stayed silent the whole way back to the South town and he hurried to the Hunter’s tavern to find some of the higher ups that stay behind when Xehanort is out of the town. Roxas stayed beside him, his eyes were unfocused.

 

“Hey! We found another body about nine kilometers northeast. I tagged all the trees we passed on the way back so you guys can start a Hunt,” Vanitas said to the man in charge when Xehanort and his uncle were out. The man whistled, men around the room becoming silent instantly. He motioned his hand and the men all retreated out the door to retrieve their gear. He looked at the two guys and then trained his good eye on Vanitas. He looked large and wild, old battle scars wearing on his face. 

 

“You know you’re not to go into the forest alone, especially not with strangers. You may be good, but you’re still a kid.” The man’s words weren’t said with any hostility, even though his face looked as though he should have been growling. Vanitas felt warm with anger and puffed out his chest.  _ I am not a kid _ . Roxas only limply watched the exchange, his face becoming more and more distraught. Vanitas watched the blond, giving him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before turning to the man.

 

“I’m not a child. And this is my… friend. He’s helping me with… uh, tracking when we happened to find the body,” Vanitas said with an irate tone. He looked to the blond for assistance, and when those blue eyes met his they seemed to flash. He looked startled for a moment before Roxas turned to the man, nodding his head in agreement. The man looked disbelieving for a moment before one of the men called to him from the doorway that everything was ready to go. He gave the guys one last stern look before walking out the door to investigate. Vanitas sighed hard and looked at the blond. He blinked when he noticed him staring. “Hey… you’ve been pretty quiet since we got back are you okay? Sorry I lied back there, technically I'm ‘not allowed to go on a Hunt’ by myself.” He rolled his eyes and turned to leave, hearing Roxas follow him.

 

“I can understand though… the forest has become dangerous lately.” Roxas had spoken so softly that he almost didn’t hear him. He gave him a deadpanned look before the blond held up a hand to let him finish. “Not saying you can’t handle yourself, you totally can, but alone… it was reckless. We didn’t even bring proper equipment.” Vanitas couldn’t argue with that point. He had been so distracted by Roxas actually showing days after giving up hope, that he was too excited about exploring to grab his gear. They walked together towards Vanitas’s house, Xion swinging the front door open in excitement. He saw his sister’s excited eyes meet Roxas’s before her face fell. He looked between the two, the blond turning his head to stare out at the forest. The blond’s face paled and he glanced anxiously back at the two. “Sorry to just drop your brother off and run, but Vanitas… I’m going to be going on a camping trip for a week and I won’t be back for a while.”

 

He watched the blond fidget with his hands, and a sort of nervous anger swept through him.  _ What isn’t he telling me? _ He growled in his head, and when he saw the jump from the blond he realized he had growled out loud as well. “Well, whatever Goldie, just don’t… ‘be clumsy’ anymore you hear me, idiot?” He snapped, unable to hold off the annoyance rolling off him. The blond looked apologetic, but nodded and gave them a weak wave. Vanitas watched him walk away, unable to stop until he was out of sight, even when Xion tugged on his shirt repeatedly. “What the hell. Who does he think he’s fooling, Shi?” His sister went noticeably quiet, and he turned to her giving her a look before continuing. “He’s obviously being bullied by these  _ ‘brothers’ _ of his but it’s like he won’t admit it.” His voice was full of disgust, he hardly noticed his sister releasing a breath she had been holding.

 

“Thank god you’re a moron,” Xion muttered, mostly to herself but he looked at her slightly offended and amused.  _ What made her say that all of a sudden? _ “Anyways, it’d be better for him to be away, the Full moon is coming up in the next few days. You’ll have to lock me up again.” She said it enthusiastically, but Vanitas looked more pained than amused. He hated locking her up but he had no choice. He looked back at the forest where the blond had disappeared to, then back to his sister. She had a point, he wouldn’t want Roxas around when she forcibly shifted from the Full moon’s calling. Once Xion had finally grown into her wolf, she had gone from painful convulsions to actually shifting. At first she was fine to be released and find her way home after the night ended, but when the murders started happening, she refused to leave the house. It meant his uncle and him had to build a room with a silver door out. He’d much rather have his sister than lose her forever. It made him think of how sad Roxas looked when talking about Ventus.

 

-

 

The Full moon came and went. The night was more lively than it had ever been. Vanitas had sat outside his house all night long, as did a lot of the Wolf Hunters still in town. The others had found the body that he and Roxas had found and matched it to a missing poster. They had to travel to the Western town to let them know the body was found. The forest held howls of all kinds, in a haunting melody. Some sounded eager for a hunt and chase, others seemed just happy to stretch their bodies. He had heard the howl from before, sad and melancholy, and he couldn’t help feeling the tightening in his chest. As soon as the other wolves howled and cried into the night, he heard Xion’s howl. It was softer, very feminine and gentle. It was so easy to listen to in comparison, and he closed his eyes letting her howls soothe him.

 

“He said he would be gone for a week and wouldn’t be back for a while. So stop pacing, you’re making me nervous,” Xion said as calmly as she could as she watched him pace once more in front of the fireplace. He glared at her, giving her a rather rude hand gesture before continuing. She sighed and shook her head with a secret smile. “You don’t even know how deep you’re in.” Her words didn’t make sense to him, so he chose to ignore them. Just as he spun around to pace back, he heard the doorbell ring. The two siblings shared a look for a mere second before Vanitas was running to the door and swinging it open. His face deadpanned as he saw his uncle smiling with his arms full of bags and gifts from the Eastern town.

 

“Wow, never had you hurry so fast to answer the door before. Expecting someone else?” His uncle joked, thrusting some bags at Vanitas who gave him a dramatic eye roll. It wasn’t like he wasn’t glad his uncle was home, but he really  _ was _ expecting someone else. Someone much more twitchy and blond. His uncle passed him with the rest of his bags, and Xion met him in the hallway, chittering about something excitedly. He moved to his uncle’s bedroom, laying down his bags and walked back out to see Xion jumping around with a small stuffed creature. He smiled to himself with how happy she looked before his uncle caught him. He looked away quickly with a glare, but he heard his uncle laugh. “You should have seen it, those men and women, as hateful as ever.” Vanitas looked over shaking his head with a smirk.

 

“They always will be. Hey, is it okay that I go out for a little bit?” He asked, Xion peering over his uncle’s shoulder at him. His uncle set the rest of his things down, and looked at him with a serious look on his face. It took him aback and he had a dreaded feeling.  _ What happened to make him give me that look? _ He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, eyes locking with Xion’s for any hints. She broke eye contact with him though and shook her head softly. His eyes widened a moment before his eyes met the hard stare of his uncle’s.

 

“Vanitas. About that, we got word that you and some strange boy incidentally found a body while ‘learning to track’ from said boy.” His uncle’s voice carried a deep authoritative tone that made him cringe.  _ Those god damn tattletales. What the hell. _ He opened his mouth to argue but his uncle held up a hand, cutting him off. “Vanitas, I don’t want you going out alone, especially not after all these murders. The wolves are becoming more daring with the limits as it is. And the Black Pack has settled in the forest with the most aggressive of wolves in their ranks.” He scoffed, earning a glare from the man. He started to say “But-”, but his uncle raised his voice, causing Xion to cower behind him. “My word is  _ final _ in this household Vanitas. You may be nineteen but you are still a  _ child _ in comparison. No matter how proud me or Xehanort are in you. My word.”

 

Vanitas felt the rage boiling in his chest and he felt the snap of anger take over. “You are  _ not _ my Father! He’s  _ dead _ if you haven’t forgotten!” He shouted, and turned swiftly, not wanting to see the hurt that he knew he caused both his uncle and sister just then with his words. He practically ran to his room, slamming the door shut behind him with a loud crack. He screamed and slid his arm across his desk, throwing its contents on the floor. Breathing heavily, he leapt to his bed and laid there facedown for so long that he didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until he jolted up and noticed the darkening sky outside his window. He stared bewildered at his window, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He listened carefully for movement in the house, but when he heard none, he looked back at the window with a ridiculously stupid idea.  _ Thank god for short distances and wide windows. _ He peeked outside, the town silent as people were getting ready for bed.  _ What perfect luck. _ He gathered up some small items; a light device, his silver throwing stars, and his colorful tape to mark his locations. He dressed in his Wolf Hunter’s black leathers and listened one last time for noise before he moved his chair to the window sill and lifted the glass window pane up.

 

As he hit the ground, trying to be as silent as possible, he looked back at his home with a twinge of guilt.  _ He’ll get the hell over it, I’ll be fine. _ He reasoned with himself even though he still felt the guilt as he stood in front of the dark forest line.  _ Goldie comes through here every time…  _ He thought of the blond with those dopey blue eyes that looked haunted and yet alive. With a frustrated groan, he walked into the forest, switching on his light so he could see into the blackness. “When I see him, I’m going to punch that stupid face of his. He better be okay.” He muttered to no one in particular, happy for the quiet silence around him. He walked a bit farther before he realized how silent it really was. He looked around, before kicking a pile of leaves. “What I don’t understand is how Uncle Riku can just… say such a thing when I’ve been training all this time. Why can’t he see me as I am now, and not that nine year old I was?” He ranted to the trees, looking up their long trunks with an exasperated sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, walking further into the woods. 

 

For a while, it was nothing but tree after tree, all almost identical to one another. He thought about how the forest was nothing but an endless maze, until he noticed a glint of color shimmering off his light. He moved over to the area quickly, and blinked in mild surprise. He had found one of the markers from when he and Roxas came through and found the body. Which meant that he had made it pretty far, and noticing the clearing just a few strides away. He cautiously inched forward toward the clearing, knowing full well the body was gone, but werewolves were known to go back to old killing spots. He walked into the middle of the clearing, and knelt down, brushing his fingers through the stained blades of grass that used to house a body on top of them.  _ You know what’s fucking weird… how Roxas just knew where to look. He must be a better Hunter than myself. He definitely puts that asshole Ventus to shame. _

 

He was still kneeling in the middle of the clearing, looking around for any kind of prints, when he heard a snap in the forest ahead of him. His head whipped up, but he glared, something inside of him saying to run. There was a low growl, and more snaps that were coming closer, and Vanitas stood up, his hand groping the pouch with his throwing stars in it.  _ Well, if I run now I’ll definitely be dead,  _ though something in him told him he’d be dead regardless. He wouldn’t admit his uncle was right, but it was foolish of him to go too far into the forest without anyone to accompany him. As he took deep breaths, he saw the giant muzzle of a tan wolf coming into view. Its one eye trained right on him, the other looked like it was injured with a long slash coming down from the brow, the eyelid, and ending at the cheek. It watched him calculatingly, he could see its jaw drooling with a hungry anticipation. He stood his ground, not showing any fear, and he could tell the wolf was intrigued that he wasn’t running or panicking. “You’re the only killing all those people,” He muttered, pulling out one of his stars. The wolf huffed in response before bristling at the sight of the weapon. He could tell the wolf wasn’t scared, but knew the silver would hurt a whole hell of a lot.

 

The wolf bided it’s time, starting to circle Vanitas with a low rumble coming from it’s chest. It snapped its teeth at him occasionally to throw him off guard, but he had come to expect it and puffed his chest out in a stupid sort of brave act. He gripped his throwing star harder, the blade of one point digging into his palm. “C’mon you bastard, what have you got?” He taunted. If his uncle and Xion could see him just taunting the wolf, they would kill him themselves. The wolf stopped, sniffing the air suddenly and tracking the little droplet of blood from his palm. He realized his mistake but held in the dread washing down his stomach.  _ Shit… Goldie… _ As he thought of the blond, his chest tightened and he shifted in uncomfortable confusion. The wolf saw the movement and chose that moment to leap at him. He couldn’t react fast enough and a clawed paw clipped him and had him pinned to the ground painfully. He gasped out from the wind being knocked from him and a memory of being thrown on his back at training before flashed in his eyes. He growled up at the wolf, struggling to get free but the wolf dug its claws into his chest and he bit down the cry of pain as best as he could. He tried to struggle against the white fire scorching his chest and his fingers grasped the throwing star he dropped on the way down.

 

With a quick twist of his arm, he managed to slice the wolf’s paw with the force of his movement before he felt a pop in his limb. The wolf snarled, limping back startled while Vanitas bit down the scream of what felt like a broken arm. He sat up, holding the limp arm carefully, watching the wolf. The wolf growled low, and hunched down before leaping at him. He threw a star with his good hand, hitting the wolf in the shoulder. It skidded but not before gripping his leg between its teeth, and with a pained howl it whipped him away. His back hit roughly against a tree trunk, and the pain knocked his breath from him once again.  _ Goldie… _ His vision started to fade in and out, watching the wolf zero in on him. His breath came out ragged as he awaited his death, accepting his stupidity for just that, stupidity. He should have just listened to his uncle, but he was being a stubborn asshole that thought he was invincible.  _ Well, I am definitely not that...  _ he thought with a dark chuckle as he watched the wolf get closer, its breathing almost like a demeanted laugh. This was a game for the wolf, he knew that. Only rogues would so blatantly play with their food. 

 

As he started to close his eyes, just as the wolf started to spring at him, his eyes flew open wide as a wolf slightly larger than the tan wolf tackled the other. Its fur was almost a gold color from what Vanitas could see from his discarded light that was pointing right at the middle of the clearing where the golden wolf now wrestled the tan wolf. The smaller wolf pulled away from the grip of the golden wolf and snarled something at the other. The golden wolf backed up until it was facing the tan wolf but blocking it from Vanitas, and he looked at the wolf in shock. He tried to sit up and felt the pain splinter up his arm and backside. When he winced and groaned, he heard the gold wolf growl in a warning tone towards him. He looked up again and tilted his head.  _ God I’m fucking losing it. Some wolf just shows up out of nowhere and is getting on to me? _ He shook his head weakly, not believing his eyes. The tan wolf launched itself at the gold one, and the larger one of the two met the other head on. The gold wolf bit into the tan wolf’s neck, but the tan wolf was able to slip from the grasp, only coming out of it with cuts, making blood stain its fur. It hunkered down and swiped at the gold wolf in warning before bolting off into the woods with a long warning snarl.

 

The golden wolf plopped onto the ground with a large heave of breath before its big head shifted back at him. “Hey don’t you fucking look at me like that, damn mutt,” Vanitas said in a defensive struggle. He winced, nursing his arm while getting to his knees and slowly standing. The wolf growled a snap of teeth at him as he swayed with nausea, but he stubbornly limped over to the wolf and sunk across its back once he got close enough. “Take… me home…” he whispered, his vision getting hazier. He felt pain as the wolf stood slowly, whimpering, and he groaned but found comfort in the golden fur. He seemed to black out during the way back, because before he knew it, there was a long low howl and then he felt himself awake to pain. His sister and uncle were frantically fussing over him and he looked back at the forest, unable to hear what there were saying. “Gold…” He could have sworn he saw blue eyes glowing at him in the darkness of the trees, but then he passed out again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas and Vanitas joining together to investigate. Xemnas, ignoring pleas about who the wolf doing all the murders really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //Sorry!!! I know i had been getting them out on time, This chapter is late because your Author got sick for a couple days. I hope all of you had a great holiday week if you celebrate 4th of july, and if not i still hope you had a great week! I am still planning to have Chapter 4 finished by Saturday the 13th at 1am. I hope you enjoy Chapter 3, and be ready for the intensity of Chapter 4 coming soon.
> 
> I wanted to end this note with a GIANT THANK YOU for all the support. You all have no idea what it means to me to have so many people enjoy my work.  
> Much Love,  
> Fox

Roxas was fuming in his cabin, waiting for Xemnas to show up. He knew the Alpha wasn’t pleased the night before when he howled his head off, begging him to come to him. Finally, he had gotten a response and it wasn’t too happy. **_Tomorrow_** , came a low howl. Now he stood there pacing back and forth. He shouldn’t have stayed away too long. Now Vanitas was hurt, and on top of that, he found out who the real rogue wolf was. It had been right under his nose the whole time, how did he not see it? _In my defense, the photograph in the warning looked surprisingly like me, but I hadn't noticed the scar across the eye._ His thoughts had him fuming more. The rage was making his wolf stir but he held it back. Now definitely wasn’t the time. After a few more excruciatingly long minutes, he heard his front door open. His head whipped to it, watching Xemnas walk in with such disapproval on his face. He hated cabins, which had been exactly why Roxas had gotten it.

 

“What is it that you interrupt your Alpha in such an inappropriate manner?” Xemnas asked, glaring at the young with contempt. Roxas started to bristle, a snarl catching in his throat, but he held it back.  _ 10… 9… 8… 7… _ “Well boy? Get on with it, if you are going to waste my time I will be extremely furious.” Xemnas crossed his arms over his chest and Roxas felt his wolf starting to become submissive, even when he felt rebellious. He cursed his wolf’s weakness, motioning for the man to sit. Xemnas raised an eyebrow in mild frustration. “This is going to take long?” 

 

“I know who’s killing all those humans and Hunters,” Roxas snapped, becoming increasingly exasperated with Xemnas’s inability to listen to anyone he deems below him, which is everyone. This caught the Alpha’s attention however, and he strode over to the big armchair. He pointedly looked at Roxas who internally rolled his eyes and moved to sit on the couch. “I saw the wolf myself, and he’s the one that matches the photograph. It’s one from our pack,” he said, the man watching him, a visible growl forming on his face. He asked for the name, and the other hesitated for a moment.  _ This is harder than I expected it to be. Accusations are huge, but I SAW him. _ “The one killing all these people is ----,” He said carefully, keeping his eyes trained on the dark amber ones.

 

“That is impossible. ---- is a highly regarded pack member. You must take me for a fool.” Xemnas stood suddenly, snarling. Roxas was taken aback. He knew Xemnas would doubt him, but to straight up ignore him? Anger swept through his features. “You dare look at your Alpha with such eyes? I should pluck them from their sockets. First you accuse ---- based on a photograph and him punishing you like all the pack did, and then you look upon me as if you will come at me.” Xemnas leapt at him, pinning him against the couch with a warm hand around his throat. The man gave a tight squeeze of warning. “I will not listen to another word. If you try to defy me I will snap your neck. I am growing tired of your young rebellion you feel you must have.” Roxas let out a hiss of air, trying to suck more in through his teeth and coming up unsuccessful. He looked at Xemnas with wide eyes and the man kept a tight squeeze for a moment longer before releasing the boy to gulp in air like water. “We are finished. I will be out on a hunt, there is a meeting today that Isa is holding. You will go. I will find out if you haven’t.”

 

Roxas watched as Xemnas straightened and turned, walking toward the hallway to his front door. He didn’t move until he heard the door slam shut and stayed where he was for an extra five minutes before standing up shakily. The wolf in him recoiled from the tense moment with the Alpha but he grew angrier than before.  _ I should have known… that bastard was never going to listen to me. _ He moved away from the couch, kicking over his coffee table before hearing Isa’s howl calling a meeting. His wolf perked with adoration and he sighed. He could never find it in him to truly disobey Isa, so he went outside and shifted. He howled in response and went running for the pack meeting.

  
  


Isa looked mildly surprised to see him there on time, as did the pack. He heard them murmur amongst themselves about how he always did favor Isa over the Alpha. He grimaced, settling in next to a lanky guy who normally kept to himself, and was decently kind toward Roxas. He turned to give Roxas a small smile in welcome. He looked around to see if ---- had shown up, and was surprised to find him absent. That was weird, he was always at the meetings. Suspicion filled his mind, and he turned to the lanky guy again. “Demyx…have you seen ----?” He asked quietly. Demyx blinked stupidly, shifting to look around at the other pack members. When he couldn't find the wolf either, he shook his head with a shrug.

 

“To be honest, I don't think I've seen him in a few days,” Demyx said, just as Isa coughed to get everyone’s attention. Roxas sighed, turning to face Isa to listen to the meeting announcements.  _ “There is a big group of Hunters around the Eastern and North towns. We will be keeping our Hunts closer to the pack for now until Xemnas finds a better Hunting ground that is away from Hunter territory. If you have any questions, I will be in charge until his return, therefore you may come to me. If you need supplies, there are plenty in storage down the river.” _ Isa went on and on about being in teams during Hunts and how the Hunters were becoming more brave due to the rogue wolf attacks happening. Roxas’s blood started to chill. He waited until Isa finished relaying important pack information before he moved to another wolf for questions. 

 

“Larxene! Hey have you seen ----?” Roxas asked the female wolf. She looked at him with a similar contempt that Xemnas held this morning and he almost snapped his teeth at her. He held back though, trying to stay cool as she gave him a once over. She had not been as nice as Demyx during the last punishment. “What does the mutt want to know for?” She snipped, picking meat from her teeth in a disinterested manner. He rolled his eyes with disgust, unable to figure out why she was even kept around. “He’s the one… I saw it with my own eyes. ---- is the one killing those humans!” He said in a rushed tone before she could cut him off. She stared at him wide eyed like he was some kind of raging lunatic and barked a laugh, a sneer painting her features. “That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day. Thanks for the laugh Mutt.” She laughed more, stalking away from him. He stared at her back in shock.  _ S… She didn’t believe me. _

 

Roxas moved on, heading toward Xaldin who had a permanent scowl on his face. He repeated what he had told Larxene, and the man looked down at Roxas in mild distrust. “You… that’s pretty bold, Mutt,” was all Xaldin said. He knew that it was all he would get from Xaldin, and with a frustrated growl he walked away from the man this time.  _ You have got to be kidding me. _ Roxas growled out loud, making Luxord turn to him in amusement. “What have we here gents? The Mutt has made an appearance to a meeting for once.” The wolves with him all laugh at his jab, but he gives Roxas a wink and a nudge. “That is a mighty big scowl for such a young lad.” Roxas rolled his eyes again, repeating what he had told Larxene and Xaldin. Luxord and the other wolves stopped their jokes immediately. Luxord looked ferocious suddenly, and turned his back on Roxas. “Stupid brat, no one would believe that. We all know how you despise him so much.”

 

Roxas snarled at Luxord’s back, and teeth snapped back at him. He wanted to take the challenge, but stubbornly he held his wolf back and stalked away. After trying a few more pack members with no luck and more distrust, he found himself face to face with Isa. Isa watched him carefully as he shifted uneasily. “You have something on your mind. Let me hear it,” The man said cooly. Roxas sighed, looking away.  _ No one else listened, Isa is all I have left… but I don't want him to think I'm a liar too. _ He repeated what he had told the others, adding the events of the other night with Vanitas, and Isa stood there, watching the boy carefully. When he finished his story, Isa looked back at the other pack members while they mingled among each other and leaned closer to Roxas. “Roxas… no one else believes this?” Roxas shook his head before Isa continued. “You are sure that you saw ----’s wolf.” Roxas nodded and looked down. He was awaiting Isa’s disappointment, but felt a warm hand touching his head instead. “I will find out the truth. There is something about ---- that I have been wondering about. Do not say another word to anyone else, understand? This is between us.” It took Roxas a few minutes of staring blankly at the man to realize that Isa was believing in him. 

 

Roxas felt delighted, his chest swelling with adoration that his Wolf Father trusted him. His wolf was practically howling through him as he shifted from foot to foot excitedly. Isa held back a smile, but his eyes gave him away.  _ Isa is more of a softie than people think! This is why I love him so much. _ Roxas fought the urge to hug the man, and turned quickly. “Thank you Isa! I owe you one. I’m going out now, but I promise to be careful of the Hunters.” He heard Isa murmur something like, “Be careful,” and he hurried through the woods, too excited about Isa being on his side to shift into his wolf. He was disappointed that no one else believed him, but Isa would always have his back. The man would never let him down. He was panting by the time he reached his cabin. He threw open the door and collapsed onto the couch for a breath before coughing from the over excitement. With a wild laugh, he stood to get dressed and paused suddenly.  _ Vanitas…! _

 

He’d almost forgotten the wounded guy, and his wolf growled with vengeance. _ Another time man… Let’s go see him first and make sure he’s okay,  _ he murmured to his wolf, calming the creature inside him. But the thought of seeing Vanitas sent a completely new feeling through him. It shocked him so much he slammed his head into the door jam of his bedroom when he tried to enter to change clothes. Blinking the slight headache away, he held a hand to his chest and his wolf huffed in answer.  _ What in the world is going on with me? _ He got dressed distractedly and moved toward the door, trying to clear his mind. “I need to focus, he could be seriously injured.” He smacked his cheeks a couple times before shifting. His wolf howled softly, and hurried toward the Southern town.

 

Just before the clearing, he shifted back, straightening out his clothes. He hurried toward the entrance and was met by an awaiting Xion. She looked at him expectantly and jumped to wrap her arms around him tightly. “Thank you…for saving him,” she mumbled into his shoulder. He looked down in surprise before moving to hug her back. He moved her to arms length after a moment and looked past her toward her house. She knew where he was looking and she touched his hand with a gentle smile. “He’s banged up pretty bad, but Dr. Lea says he’ll heal up in no time. He’s been asking about you all morning, why don’t you go in and see him?” He heard the suggestive tone in her voice, but he ignored it. He hesitantly took a step toward the house, and then after a moment he took another. He heard Xion laugh and push him forward, and he muttered something about how strong she was for a female. She laughed more and nudged him with her elbow. “I am a wolf afterall,” she joked, and opened the front door. “We have a visitor!” She shouted in, winking at Roxas.

 

He suddenly felt self-conscious and stepped in just in time to hear a deep voice ring out from the living room. “Why the hell are you yelling? I have a broken leg and arm, I’m not fucking deaf you silly girl.” The sweet smell drifted from the living room toward him and made him stop in his tracks. He inhaled deeply, his wolf moving frantically along his skin. Xion paused, looking at him with concern, but he swallowed hard and let out a nervous chuckle. He walked further down the hallway, and looked into the open door to the living room. The grumpier looking guy was propped up on the couch, arm in a sling and his right leg lifted on a chair. It was in a makeshift kind of cast that held his leg straight and it made Roxas’s face drop. The guy moved and froze, catching Roxas’s eyes. They stared at each other for what felt like hours, and they hardly heard Xion laugh and excuse herself from the room. “Where the fucking hell have you been Goldie?” Vanitas spoke first, crossing his good arm over the broken one carefully. Roxas blinked stupidly and a goofy smile formed on his lips.

 

“I leave for barely two weeks and you get all injured, Grouch. I’m going to have to wrap you up in soft padding or something,” he says with a laugh. Vanitas gives him a bewildered look before a small grin takes over his lips. He moves over, patting the spot next to him, and Roxas walked over, carefully sitting next to him. He gestured a hand over Vanitas’s whole frame and shook his head almost sadly. “What even happened?” He knew the answer, but he couldn’t very well give himself away. The other looked away, as if remembering the whole occurrence and then gave him a half hearted glare. Roxas stared at his eyes, a warmth taking over him and he bit the inside of his cheek to bring himself back before his wolf got out of control. 

 

“You took too damn long, so I went out looking for you in case your dopey ass was eaten by a wolf or something,” Vanitas snapped stubbornly. Roxas laughed then, and it vibrated through his chest. The other gave him a lopsided smile and shook his head, looking out the window. “I made a very stupid move on my part and went out alone. At night.” He laughed at the look Roxas gave him then and waved his hand dismissively. “I know, it was dumb, especially for a young elite Hunter. But… I guess I was worried.” He muttered the last bit under his breath. Roxas smiled sadly at him and shook his head. “You should have seen my uncle, I thought  _ he _ was going to kill me.”

 

“Well, you aren’t dead so that’s a good sign. No wonder you’re an elite,” he said to the ravenette. Vanitas made a face at him but he only laughed. He felt so much better being around the other already. It was almost as if the two weeks never happened and it was just yesterday that they were finding a dead body in the forest. He hadn’t noticed how much he had grown accustomed to Vanitas in such a short period of time, but he could tell the other felt the same way. “I’m glad you’re okay though,” Roxas said absently, looking across the room at the fireplace. He heard a weird choking noise and turned to see Vanitas covering his face with his good hand, looking away. He shifted in his seat to check on the other, but he avoided his eye contact. They sat in silence for a moment before he noticed Vanitas visibly relax. 

 

“The craziest part wasn’t the wolf that attacked me… I could hardly see it in the darkness. But… there was this wolf that showed up, and I think it was protecting me.” Vanitas laughed, shaking his head. “I mean, that’s stupid. It  _ was _ protecting me. It was just odd… the fur was so… and it felt like I could just trust it.” Roxas stiffened, his wolf wiggling inside with excitement. He felt a cold sweat run through him and he moved back into the couch, listening to Vanitas. The other turned to him with a confused look but he waved him away. “You okay? I know, wolf talk must be tiring if you hear it all the time. But this thing, it was huge, and… and beautiful. Like, I had never seen such a big creature before. It almost looked bigger than that Black pack’s Alpha.” This shocked Roxas, he had never noticed if he was bigger or not. He wasn’t paying attention to his growth spurt much because he still scorned the fact that he was forced into it. Then he felt it; the weird pull of his wolf, the sweet smell becoming overwhelming. Before he could stop it, he felt a purr rumble from his chest, softly. Both guys looked at each other in shock, Roxas with a shocked expression, Vanitas with amusement starting to fill his features. “What was that? Are you mocking me or something, Goldie?” Roxas was frozen, his wolf still wiggling to be free. He held it back the best he could and stood suddenly.  _ What the hell is your malfunction wolf? _ The sweet smell wafted up as Vanitas started to maneuver his way up, grabbing a crutch from the side of the couch. “What are you doing, crazy? Sit down! You need to rest,” Roxas said quickly when he looked over in surprise, lightly pushing down on Vanitas’s good shoulder. The other gave him a glare, laughing lightly.

 

“Would you calm down Goldie? I’m fine, it’s just a broken leg and arm, I can still move.” Vanitas punched Roxas’s arm playfully. He gave the other an exasperated look, but could tell the other wasn’t going to back down.  _ Vanitas is the most irritating person… _ he thought to himself. “Would you stop being such a girl? Plus, when we went exploring before, I didn't get to tell you too much about the murders. And there have been a lot more while you were gone.” This caught Roxas’s attention and he moved out of Vanitas’s way and watched him hobble to the window, leaning against the wall. “We’ve noticed that whatever wolf is doing this, and I'm starting to think it was the one that attacked me, they’re doing this out of spite. If it wasn’t for my flashlight, I wouldn't have been able to clearly tell the two wolves apart, so I’m thinking that one is framing the other.” Roxas felt his blood run cold, his wolf growling inside. It made perfect sense. ---- hated Roxas, always had. They would always be the first to see him punished, they mocked him and always turned him into Xemnas any time he even slightly messed up. They were also the one that pinned him as a child before Xemnas had swiped at him, causing the three scars across his stomach.

 

“I think it’s like the wolf is purposefully attacking Hunters and civilians of the four towns to get the attention of us. The wolf wants to see us bag the wrong wolf. No one has gotten a good enough look at it to know what it really looks like,” Vanitas continued, looking over at Roxas. He paused for a moment and tilted his head in a way that made Roxas’s chest vibrate in a purr he had time to hold back. Roxas motioned for Vanitas to continue while he fought with his wolf.  _ Knock it off, damn it. _ “So the latest body was found not too far from here, but you know, wolves normally don’t leave scraps. They take the leftovers to their pack. This wolf is deliberately leaving body parts. It’s intelligent and purposefully riling up us Hunters.” Vanitas looked out the window again, shaking his head. Roxas growled, staring at the fireplace, surprising Vanitas with his sudden anger.  _ \----. This is all just a plot. A plot that Xemnas won’t listen to me on, and they’re getting away with it! How… it doesn’t make any sense. How can they be getting off short when… argh it just… _ Roxas let out a frustrated noise and Vanitas laughed. “It ain’t a big deal man, we just have to track the fucker now and take him out before it gets any worse.”

 

“It’s already worse!” Roxas shouted, almost losing a grip on his wolf. He was breathing raggedly and refused to look at the other when he saw Vanitas’s eyebrows raised in surprise.  _ Shit. 10… 9… 8… 7… 6…  _ Xion appeared in the room, he knew she could sense him, and she walked straight to him. She cautiously laid a hand on his shoulder and he gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry… I think it’s just been pent up stress lately. My… my  _ brothers _ never believe me whenever I try to explain the seriousness of it. I think it just sort of got to me finally.” He looked over at Vanitas, and the other looked away for a moment. He saw something strange flash in those amber eyes before they looked back at him with a lopsided grin appearing on his face. “Oh no… I know that look,” Xion muttered beside Roxas. He looked over at her but she was looking at her brother and shaking her head with a small smile on her face.

 

“This is why you and me, we have to figure out where this damn wolf is. On our own.” Vanitas sounded confident, waving his crutch at Roxas with enthusiasm. “On our own?” he asked the other, but Vanitas cheekily looked away, scratching his cheek stubbornly with his good hand. “My uncle may or may not have  _ grounded _ me so to speak. ‘ _ You have to stay indoors. No you can’t go on a Hunt, are you stupid? Look at yourself Vanitas, you disobeyed and now you’re all broken.’ _ You know, whining old man stuff.” Xion snorted, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. Roxas was stunned at the two not taking their uncle very seriously, but was in awe that Vanitas was so confident and willing to risk his life. It was stupid, yes, but admirable.  _ He really would make a great Alpha. Oh god… not this again…  _ The sweet smell roused his wolf from its calm state and he just barely masked the purr that came up from his chest. Vanitas hadn’t noticed, but Xion zeroed in on him with a very wide knowing smile on her face. The blush in him was noticeable and he shook his head quickly, having a mental conversation with her. She crooked an eyebrow that screamed  _ ‘Do i look stupid to you?’ _ but they were interrupted by an attention seeking cough. Roxas’s eyes quickly found the other and he caught the irritated look on Vanitas’s face before he tried to hide it.  _ Does he think…? Wait was he being…? No. No stop it… That’s not what this is wolf. 10… 9… 8…  _

 

“Well… Well then, if I don’t agree to this, you’ll just go on by yourself apparently.” Roxas grinned at the jab, making Vanitas roll his eyes, his face softening. “So in order to keep the Grouch safe, I suppose I’ll have to join you.” Roxas watched Xion place her hand to her forehead with a soft  _ ‘Idiots’ _ but he saw her small smile. She was relieved that he would be there again to protect her brother. They both knew Vanitas was his own force to be reckoned with, but they also knew he was still human. Going alone, even with all his gear, would be a gamble on his life. Especially with his current state. “So, tomorrow if you think you can hobble for a while, we should explore the south-western forest line.” Vanitas smiled in agreement and Roxas walked over to him to give his good hand a handshake as a promise. The moment their hands touched, Roxas felt warmth swirl all over his body. He tried not letting go too quickly because he didn’t want to offend Vanitas with a misunderstanding, so he bit his cheek and let go after a few seconds.

 

“Tomorrow then,” Vanitas said with a big grin that made Roxas look away. “Those bastard wolves won’t know what hit them.” Roxas felt a weight lift from his shoulders, and even his wolf seemed eased by the words even though they were a threat to its kind. Both were forced into a sort of entrapment, so they agreed with one another in those feelings. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner?” When Roxas shook his head with a smile Vanitas sighed. “At least let me  _ hobble _ you to the door. You dick.” They both fell into a deep laughter, nudging each other’s shoulders playfully. Xion smiled more, watching them and came up to Vanitas’s bad side, helping him as the two siblings walked Roxas out, waving their goodbyes. When he got to the forestline, Roxas smiled to himself and sprinted home, excited for the next day.

  
  


When he came up to the clearing where his cabin sat, he was surprised to see Isa leaning up against the door with his arms crossed. It wasn’t an aggressive stance, the man more so looked like he was patiently waiting, or had been… for hours. Roxas gave him a tiny wave as he walked the path up to the steps. Isa nodded to him once and shook his head with the hint of a smile. “I figured after I started pounding on your door and you still hadn’t answered, that you weren’t home yet. You are lucky wolves sense one another better when bonded, because I almost tore your door down.” Roxas laughed, playfully shoving the man while unlocking the cabin door. Right before he walked inside, Isa grabbed his arm and sniffed him suddenly. “You’ve…” The man choked on his sentence, and Roxas yanked his arm away, a dark flush burning across the bridge of his nose. They stared at each other in silence for a few minutes. He painfully ran his eyes over the scars that crossed from his forehead to the bridge of his nose in an X formation. He could only stomach looking at what he’d done to the man for so long, and he turned to walk inside.

 

“I have not. Stupid wolf doesn’t know what it’s thinking. I’m just in my wolf puberty,” Roxas said quickly. He refused to look at Isa at all, but heard the heavy footsteps of the man, and the door closing softly. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and a growl came rippling up his throat. With a soft squeeze, the hand disappeared and Isa sat on the couch, hands embracing each other. He was grateful that Isa didn’t pry more, but he could tell that his Wolf Father had come for a reason, so he collected himself and his wolf and sat beside the man quietly. The two sat in silence for a while, and his mind started to wander, thinking about the conversation between him and Vanitas that day. “He says the body parts are becoming more frequent and the Hunters think it’s deliberate.” Isa turned to him thoughtfully and nodded.

 

“Your young Hunter seems to be quite knowledgeable. I do not doubt that is the case. ---- hasn’t shown to any pack meets, and hasn’t been seen since your last punishment.” Roxas didn’t miss the possessive ‘your’ that Isa dropped in there, but he pushed down the pleasant purr of his wolf and shook his head. He couldn’t figure out how someone so close to the Alpha would get away with this. Not even Isa has missed any meetings. The only thing he had missed was the recent punishment. Roxas felt guilty for the position he was putting the man who raised him through, but he knew Isa would always be at his side. “You need to lay low with Your Hunter because I can’t sense ----, so I can’t tell if he is tracking you. But after the attack, I'm sure he knows of the boy.” Roxas couldn’t hold back the snarl that the wolf in him pushed out, and gripped the couch with his growing claws counting down.  _ 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…  _ “You have better control, your wolf seems to accept you for the most part. I’m glad you’ve been counting. But don’t worry, either of you, Your Hunter will be safe. I will run the treeline during the nights when I can.” Roxas visibly relaxed and shook his head stubbornly.

 

“Thank you,  _ but he isn’t ‘My Hunter’, _ ” Roxas said quickly. Isa let a laugh escape, and stood up giving the boy’s hair a ruffle. He scoffed at the man, but felt the adoration in him calming all the nerves. His wolf calmed as well, and settled for the night. “Really though Isa, thank you. And please… Be careful out there.” He stood as well, walking Isa to the door. The man squeezed his shoulder once again and tapped his index finger to Roxas’s forehead. It was something he had done since Roxas was little, a way of showing his affection. It made him beam, and that seemed to be enough for Isa. The man left, shifting quickly in the moonlight. He watched from the window as the silver furred wolf howled out a goodbye before sprinting into the woods.  _ We’re lucky wolf, we’re lucky for Isa. But if you could get it together for just a little bit… _ He sighed. He made himself a quick meal and hurried to bed, anxiously awaiting tomorrow.

 

-

 

“Would you stop fucking worrying over me? What are you, my mother?” Vanitas snapped at him for the fifth time as they walked, or hobbled, through the south-western part of the forest. He laughed, attempting to steady the other for the hundredth time, only to receive a glare and a hand swatting at him. “What do you take me for? A pussy?” This made Roxas laugh harder, and he could tell Vanitas wanted to laugh too. After a while, he finally let himself too. “Goldie, you are such an idiot,” the other said with a grin. He mocked offense, lightly shoving the ravenette.  _ He’s in such a good mood, it must be nice to stretch his legs. _ “You seem to be in a better mood Roxas,” the other said in the same thought. Roxas felt himself pause, surprised that Vanitas’s thoughts would mirror his own, and then he felt the purr trying to rumble from his chest at the use of his name.  _ You have got to be kidding. We were doing just fine, stop acting up. _ He snapped at his wolf, sighing.

 

“Yeah, I guess I just needed to stretch my legs. Plus, who doesn’t like to look for dead bodies on a Thursday?” Vanitas barked out a laugh and Roxas felt himself smile widely. They walked on for what felt like hours, laughing and making jabs, until Roxas sniffed the air discreetly and stopped Vanitas. “I think… There is something up ahead,” he said, his eyes locked on to a spot between some trees. Vanitas looked over and saw an eyeball in the space between. They stood still for a few beats, and with a quick look at each other they slowly moved forward. When they reached the opening between the two trees, Roxas felt Vanitas tense beside him. They saw that the eyeball was no longer attached to any kind of head and the bottom half of a body laid in front of them. Blood was pooling quickly, the middle half of the spinal cord lay in the pool of blood while the legs twitched. They investigated a bit further and found a split upper half tangled in the tree limbs.  _ That bastard ----, he’s playing with his prey… that is so wrong. _ “This… this happened very recently,” Roxas whispered to the other, pointing at the twitching nerves. 

 

“ _ Fuck _ … We need to report this. But first, where do you think it went?” Vanitas whispered back, looking at Roxas with determined eyes. He sighed and looked beyond the body parts, seeing paw prints a few feet away. He pointed straight but gently grabbed Vanitas’s shoulder, shaking his head. “We can totally find it! What do you mean no?” The other snapped, yanking his shoulder away with a pained wince. Roxas crossed his arms, giving the other a pointed look. The other glared at him, and they stood like this for a few more minutes before Vanitas cussed under his breath and turned around carefully with his crutch. “Asshole. Let’s go report it then.” 

 

“I’ll report it, since you weren’t even supposed to leave your house.” He held up his hand when the other tried to argue and continued to speak. “But we do know one thing. There is a pattern, and I’m sure the next victim will come from the Western town. I think the wolf is doing rounds of each major Hunters’ town.” Vanitas looked surprised and then as he thought about it, he nodded with admiration at Roxas’s thought process. The other clapped his shoulder with excitement, wincing as he moved his leg. Roxas shook his head with a smile, and walked around to his bad side to offer him his own shoulder to lean on. Stubbornly, he allowed Roxas to curl his good arm around him. Roxas held Vanitas steady and they headed back toward the Southern town. “See, you wanted to follow the wolf with a broken leg. And you call me an idiot, Grumpy,” he said jokingly. Vanitas scoffed, pinching him on the shoulder with the good hand.

 

“Oh-ho-ho. So I’ve evolved from Grouch to Grumpy huh?” Roxas laughed out a  _ “You’re both”  _ and the sweet smell became intoxicating being so close to the other. He swallowed hard, trying to hold back the purring that was vibrating his body. “Hey you good? You’re shaking like crazy, it’s jostling me around,” Vanitas teased lightly, but his concern was evident. Roxas forced a smile and nodded, silently trudging along. He was trying not to pull the other too quickly because of his injures, but the longer he stayed too close that he could feel Vanitas’s heart beating from his side, the harder it was for him to hold back the wolf. It desperately wanted to see Vanitas itself, he could feel its strong feelings. He kept suppressing them.  _ Stop it… Just stop. We can’t. Not him. Not him…  _ Roxas groaned in irritation, which caused the other to dig his good foot into the ground to stop them. “Are you okay? You’re acting weirder than normal, Goldie.”

 

“Are you trying to making us trip? I’m fine, leave me alone  _ Grouch _ ,” Roxas snipped in aggravation. Vanitas looked at him in shock, pushing him away. He began hobbling with a big scowl on his face, and Roxas breathed with relief, before a strange ache gripped his chest.  _ Stupid… you’re so stupid.  _ “Hey… Vanitas wait up. I’m sorry. Guess I just feel unsettled, plus if something were to happen to you…” He trailed off. Vanitas paused, shifting to glare at Roxas before his eyes betrayed him and softened. They looked at each other in silence for a while before they both averted their eyes to a spot somewhere opposite of each other.

 

“C’mon Idiot… We need to get back before Shi has a cow,” Vanitas said quickly. Roxas quickly moved to his good side again, lifting him slightly to take the weight. They walked in awkward silence for a while before it started to become natural again. Occasionally one would make a jab at the other, and they would laugh only to grow quiet again. They got closer to the Southern town and felt the rest of the tension lift from both of them. Xion was walking just inside the treeline and waved excitedly to the two, coming up to meet them. She paused to look at Roxas for a moment, and he averted his eyes, repeating what they found to her. “Yeah Shi, you should go tell someone in the tavern, they won’t get on to you and obviously will believe you over Goldie here.” Roxas moved away from Vanitas as they made it into town and laughed, punching his shoulder softly. Xion shrugged with a smile and winked at Roxas while turning.  _ “Make sure my brother gets to the house safely,” _ she called over her shoulder before skipping off quickly. “What a dork,” Vanitas muttered, but Roxas noticed the strange look that took over the amber eyes like the day before.

 

“Uh, are you good Grouch?” Roxas asked. He received a glare in response, but he could have sworn he noticed a light flush in Vanitas’s cheeks. Something in his wolf stirred. The purr that hit him was hard to hold back, his skin crawling from the wolf trying to get out.  _ Stop that damn it! He isn’t jealous, back off wolf! _ Vanitas had been saying something but Roxas hadn’t heard a word. Before he could ask, the other had already started for his house. He followed quickly. “Hey dang, speedy all of a sudden when we aren’t in the forest huh? Did you just want me that close to you?” Roxas realized the joke hit too close to home for him as soon as he said it, but he hadn’t expected Vanitas to freeze. This time he knew there was a flush in the other’s cheeks.  _ He’s just embarrassed by the joke… that’s… that’s all that is.  _ He reasoned, laughing weakly. Vanitas turned to him as if to say something, but his eyes landed on something behind him. When he turned, he saw Xion walking up with a faltering smile. Looking back he noticed Vanitas was already at the door, and he slammed it shut behind him. “What…?”

 

“Did you guys have a lover’s spat?” Xion asked. He knew she was joking, but when he didn’t say anything, her smile fully fell this time. “What is it? Are you okay Roxas?” She looked seriously concerned for him. He felt grateful suddenly that she was a werewolf too and understood him. He wished he hadn’t met Vanitas. His wolf was becoming obedient until  _ he _ happened. Roxas turned his back to the house, crossing his arms before letting them fall limply to his sides. He growled in frustration, and Xion jumped. “You’re not okay.” 

 

“I… Vanitas is my mate.” Roxas finally allowed himself to accept it, crumpling to his knees as his heart exploded with so many emotions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To get stronger... you have to train.  
> To heal... you have to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //SO MUCH HAPPENED. But i am now free again, hopefully that means more on time chapter releases.  
> Just to forewarn, due to me wanting to do some small research and making certain things realistic like the healing of broken bones, it took me some time and extra  
> information for this chapter.  
> I shifted all my chapters down and split this one in half, so Chapter 5 will be when real shit goes down.  
> Wonder whom that tan wolf could be.//

Xion knelt beside Roxas and he felt her hand soothingly running up and down his back. He felt both exhausted and relieved to be able to say that information out loud and not be ridiculed for it. Somehow, he knew Xion wouldn’t say anything to Vanitas or judge him. She understood how the wolf mating was spontaneous and random.  _ But why Vanitas. A Hunter. _ “I… I know. You reek of the mating scent. Vanitas reeks of… you.” She said it absently, gently stroking his back. He felt his heartbeat quicken but inhaled deeply to calm it. He didn’t know how to respond, so they just sat in silence. He was grateful that she hadn’t mentioned it so directly before. He was having a hard time just admitting it to himself. The wolf on the other hand was thrilled, wrecking his insides for a way out. Xion could tell he was having an internal battle, so she just kept rubbing his back. After a few minutes of silence, Roxas turns to her.

 

“What if… I told him that I'm a werewolf?” He watched so many conflicting emotions pass in her ocean eyes and felt like he already knew the answer. She opened her mouth to object when she could tell he thought she was going to reject the idea, but he shook his head. “No, you’re right. He’s a Hunter, my pack is  _ literally the most dangerous and hated _ . If I told him… he’d hate me, and then kill me.” Xion looked like she was going to argue but he stood up, holding a hand down to help her up. “I just don't want to keep hiding it from him. And the wolf is becoming harder to hold back.”

 

“What I was _going_ to say was you should tell him.” Roxas gave Xion a crazy look that made her laugh and she nudged him gently. “I’m serious. I know my brother. He wouldn’t just betray you like that. You should ask him about the reason he hates your brother.” He blinked at that statement, vaguely remembering Vanitas mention something about his brother already. _‘But Ventus is just mad that he chose me over him as an apprentice, especially after with the shit he pulled.’_ _What did Ventus do?_ He felt uneasy thinking about his brother. The same brother that almost unknowingly killed him. “Honestly, if you weren’t suited for each other your wolf wouldn’t have mated so quickly,”  she teased, laughing softly as she smiled kindly at him, and he smiled back just as the front door of the house slammed open. Roxas jumped, his wolf wiggling inside him wildly as he met eyes with Vanitas. The other looked very annoyed, giving them both a look before taking in a deep breath. 

 

“Are you love birds coming in or not?” Vanitas asked in a dark tone. Xion chokes in surprise, and Roxas knew his face was twisted in pain because when Vanitas looked at both of them, his face softened. Xion immediately denied anything weird between her and Roxas before punching her brother’s good arm. He felt the guilty amber eyes on him again but he avoided eye contact, turning to leave. He heard the muttered “ _ Fuck…” _ under Vanitas’s breath. Then he felt the hand gripping his arm and felt his throat go dry. _ “ _ Hey wait, Goldie don’t leave. How about you stay for dinner? You haven’t stayed to eat in a while.” Roxas hesitantly looked up at him, and felt the air leave his lungs. Since he admitted it out loud to Xion, it was harder to look at Vanitas without the strong pull taking him by the heart.

 

“I…” He cleared his throat, stepping away from Vanitas’s grip carefully. “I am feeling pretty hungry after… holding up a heavy Grouch for two and a half hours through the forest,” he managed with a lopsided grin. Vanitas grinned back and punched his arm playfully before turning and hobbling back inside. Xion smiled with relief and motioned for Roxas to join them. She gave him a thumbs up and he shook his head with a nervous chuckle. “Well, first things first…” he started as he passed her, his stomach growling. Xion laughed and shut the door behind them. He heard Vanitas shout, “Hurry up slow asses,” and he gave Xion a genuine smile. “Yeah we’re coming, hold on to your crutch.” He heard the curse word thrown at him and laughed, heading to the kitchen. Vanitas sat proudly, gesturing toward the table and winking at Roxas. 

 

“C’mon Goldie, I could hear your stomach from in here. I had planned for you to stay for dinner so I asked Xion to whip up some things.” Xion puffed up with joy and sat in the seat across from Vanitas, grinning wickedly at Roxas. He realized why as soon as he noticed a chair was suddenly missing and the only free one was beside Vanitas. He shot her a glare and took the seat, his heart hammering in his chest. “So, I was thinking about what you said before… about all this,” Vanitas gestured to himself as they started digging in, and Roxas tilted his head in slight confusion. “You know, about the broken parts. Since I  _ have _ to heal in order to help you with our investigation, what if I taught you some fighting techniques while I’m ‘resting’? We could also go over the lay of the land.” Roxas laughed when he realized what he meant and nodded, taking a mouthful of food.

 

“Sounds good to me. Some days I have to go out with my… Dad. But he’s a… hunter so I think if I bring it up to him maybe he can give me some advice for all this,” Roxas said absently, thinking about Isa. He knew the man would help him, he had already agreed with looking on the side for anything suspicious from ----, so he didn’t think the man would mind. They had to hunt in pairs now anyways, that had been what the meeting was about, so he and Isa could go out together as an excuse to track what they could. Vanitas looked interested suddenly, and took a drink before turning his body carefully to face Roxas better.

 

“Your Dad? Like the same one that  _ brother _ was talking about? He’s a Hunter? Which clan is he in?” Roxas blinked before shaking his head quickly.  _ Of course he would get confused. Thanks Xigbar. _ He thought about what to say, taking a drink of water to buy him time. As he slowly took a sip, he thought about Isa again.  _ It would be so nice for him to meet Vanitas and Xion. He would like Vanitas a lot. They’re so similar. _ “Hey, earth to Roxas. You home in there?” Vanitas joked, nudging Roxas. He jumped unexpectedly and looked at Vanitas blankly for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh.

 

“Oh, sorry I spaced for a minute. But no,  _ my _ Dad is a different man. The one who really raised me. He isn’t a… Hunter, but a hunter. Like, he hunts alone?” He was wondering if it made sense without being too far from the truth, though Vanitas nodded thoughtfully and gave him a smile that made his chest squeeze. He suddenly had the realization that the past few weeks were the most he’d smiled. Vanitas and Xion really brought out a lot of things in him that he hadn’t expected to be possible anymore.  _ Have I ever felt this happy before? _ He looked down at his plate with a small smile forming on his lips. “He’s great, my Dad I mean… he taught me how to,  _ track _ and… use scents to help guide your way through the forest. He’s moody but he’s always been patient with me.” He felt the adoration for Isa spilling from his chest and couldn’t stop himself from continuing. “He’s insufferable and way too protective over me to the point that he’ll get into harm's way for me. But he’s been more of a dad to me than my real father ever was to me when I was growing up with Ventus before the accident when I was eight.” He didn’t feel bitter about that fact, it actually made him appreciate Isa more, and he knew Vanitas and Xion could tell. They had this look on their faces when he looked up and he blinked in embarrassment. “That was a bit much huh?”

 

“No! Uh… no, it’s just the first time we’ve heard you really talk about someone like that. He must be a great man to have all your respect.” Vanitas said quickly, a relief washed over him when he sat back. Roxas was curious as to what that relief was about but before he could ask, Vanitas absently started talking. “Our parents were like that…” He paused, looking over at Xion who gave him a reassuring smile and nod. “They were two of the most… loving human beings on this planet. Our mother, she used to be a Hunter, before she had me and Shi. But then she left that life to be here for us. She was gentle and kind…” Roxas watched Vanitas’s eyes mist over but the other looked down before he looked over at him with a grin and continued. “Our father, he would go on every Hunt he could without exhausting himself, but that wouldn’t stop him from coming into our rooms as soon as he got home to tell us he loved us. I used to pretend I was asleep, just so I could hear those words. Just because he was gone a lot, we just sort of knew he was doing it for us and wanted us to have the best life.” Vanitas stopped, and he could see the other forcibly swallowing at a lump he felt in his own throat.

 

“You know, I'm pretty sure he’s very proud of you guys. Both of them actually,” Roxas said after a few moments of silence. The two looked at him in surprise, and Xion began sobbing then. Roxas was surprised, and Vanitas seemed equally as stunned, but the brother stood and went around to his sister. Vanitas held Xion, gently murmuring into her hair, but he smiled weakly at Roxas, a gratitude in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to upset you guys. I just… It’s so nice seeing you guys so differently, like we all get this one night of normalcy.” Xion laughed, swiping the tears from under her eyes and nodded in agreement. They all laughed, finishing their dinner and making jabs at one another. The night came surprisingly fast and Roxas headed for the door, Vanitas walking with him.

 

“Sorry for before, I mean… calling you and Shi love birds. You looked very unhappy after that,” Vanitas mumbled, a light flush in his cheeks was visible even in the shadows of the hallway. Roxas was taken aback but smiled cheekily and laid a hand on the other’s arm with a squeeze. “Ha, damn it. I’m becoming so soft, ever since you appeared in our town,” the other joked, opening the door. Roxas laughed and walked out, turning to wave. “Come back in two days, we can get started on your hand to hand training if you want.” 

 

Roxas smiled wide, and gave him a thumbs up. “Sounds like a good plan to me. I’ll talk to my Dad about helping with the mapping too, he has a great lay of the land!” Vanitas gave him a smile he hadn’t seen before, and his heart and body trembled. Quickly he waved goodbye and hurried away before his wolf tore through and shifted him inside the town.  _ Oh that was so close, I’m not ready to tell him wolf… please calm yourself. _ He sprinted into the treeline and shifted, the wolf happy to stretch its legs howled. It went to turn around and find its mate, but Roxas held fast, his control over his wolf becoming better, and he steered him towards the cabin.

 

-

 

“That’s really lame, have you never gotten into a fight before?” Vanitas snapped, already in full teacher mode from a bench beside the training ring. Roxas sighed, lifting himself up off the ground, ignoring the apologetic trainee.  _ Honestly, if I wasn't being careful while learning proper techniques I could seriously hurt this kid. Be mindful of that. _ Vanitas huffed, moving to stand but Roxas snapped at him to sit down, slipping under the training ropes and hopping down. He walked over to the ravenette, rolling his sore shoulder from training non-stop all morning. “Listen, hand to hand combat has so much to it. But you look like you’re holding back or something.” Roxas sighed, turning his head stubbornly. He caught Vanitas go silent, staring at the scar on his cheek and he turned his face the other way. 

 

“Well, yeah you have me going up against an actual  _ kid _ ,” Roxas snipped. They both ignored the trainee kid shout “ _ Hey! _ ” with offense before he continued. “Shouldn’t I learn like… the way to move with the techniques before you start throwing me at people?” Vanitas hummed with frustration before he smacked a hand to his forehead with a sudden laugh. “Uh… You okay Grump?” Roxas looked at him like he had lost it, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back on his hand.

 

“I am such an idiot Goldie. Of course, I guess I got carried away and forgot you aren’t from here. We learn the rules and techniques as children here.” Vanitas sighs, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand. He moved carefully down the bench and pat the spot beside him for Roxas to sit. When he did, he could tell Vanitas was getting back into teacher mode, and tried to contain the adoring smile that wanted to take over his lips. “So first of all, some rules or guidelines for hand to hand combat; Overcoming Fear, it can affect your fast thinking skills and pretty much has a chance of advantage for your assailant. It’s a training that’s much more than just learning physical skills.” He paused, letting Roxas take in what the ravenette was saying, and then he nodded for Vanitas to continue. “No rules, no holds barred, life or death; You never know what situation you can be in, violent confrontation can involve more than one assailant, weapons, and other things like you wouldn’t think to expect. You don’t have time to stop and think and get ready or mentally prepare, it can happen in an instant. So be aware of what your surroundings are. That way you can tell where danger could potentially be, and how to respond properly.” 

 

“Wow, hand to hand combat really has a lot to it huh?” Roxas scratched his head, watching Vanitas light up with a laugh. “And you guys learn this as kids? Oh boy do I feel bad for the toddlers.” He grinned as the other laughed harder, receiving a playful punch to his arm. He joined in the laughter and they sat there for a moment until they both calmed.

 

“Well, it’s crucial knowledge for the times we’re in,” Vanitas said softly. “Anyways, the last main rule we teach; How to eliminate a threat, not win a fight. Make sure you’re familiar with and know your environment, and what weapons you could possibly get your hands on. When you react to an attack, you have to make sure you are one hundred percent committed, with total aggression. You have to be able to injure or incapacitate you attacker as soon as you can.” Roxas nodded, intrigued by how much information they have been teaching the children of the South town for so long. He wondered if the other towns’ Hunters taught the children something similar. “Last, Master Xehanort’s favorite saying; _ Are you going to lie down and be a sheep? Or are you going to stand and fight like a wolf? _ It’s one of my favorite quotes of his.” Vanitas beamed with pride, and Roxas felt the anxiety of the wolf line vanish in awe. He could tell that Vanitas had a great respect for the leader of the South clan.

 

“I’m amazed, and honestly it brings more clarity to the whole aspect of hand to hand. My…  _ brothers _ just sort of wrestle with one another. They don’t quite have real values.” Roxas sighed in thought of the pack, animosity leaving a bad taste in his mouth. Vanitas crossed his good arm on top of his bad one carefully, tilting his head in thought. “Do you think they do these in the other towns?”

 

“They do. Xehanort originally taught it to each leader of each Hunter clan to teach to the fledglings. Whether they keep to the teachings is a whole other story,” Vanitas said with disdain. He could see the other truly disliked the other clans, with reason of course. “You think you can retain all that and learn a couple forms today?” the other asked, a smug smile on his face. Roxas scoffed out a playful “Yes” and Vanitas whistled, calling the trainee over. “Hey, we’re teaching Goldie here the forms. Can you start by giving me  _ ‘low to high elbow strike’ _ ?” He ordered. The trainee nodded timidly, standing straighter and pivoting a foot behind him as a sharp and sturdy elbow came forcefully up in a kind of uppercut motion. Roxas watched every motion in awe as Vanitas barked an order to repeat it. He looked expectantly at him next and Roxas stood, moving beside the trainee. He took a deep breath and pivoted with a thrust of his elbow upwards. Vanitas hummed in approval. “Do it again, this time try moving your whole upper body into the strike.” He nodded obediently and straightened before pivoting and moving his whole torso into the thrust of his elbow. “Very good. Now do it with the other arm.” 

 

Roxas obeyed and switched arms, faltering a moment with awkwardness. He repeated the stance and found it slightly easier than the last time. “Well, I can see why they teach you early.” The two laugh, the trainee visibly shaken by Vanitas laughing but he shuffles his foot with a small smile. Roxas tried again, and this time he felt more natural and switched arms back in forth. Vanitas looked rather impressed and clapped his hands together with a grin.

 

“Alright, Let’s get out a _ ‘horizontal strike’ _ .” Vanitas nodded to the trainee, who obediently straightened. “The thing about a horizontal strike is that there are many ways you can go about it. This is a move that goes for more fleshier parts of the body. You could aim lower, in which you would go for the stomach, liver, or spleen.” As Vanitas said each area, the trainee went into action, Roxas watching as each place in the air of the imaginary person in front of the trainee signafied the spots he was referring to. “This will cause paralyzing pain when you put in enough force and that’s what you’d want. However, with this move you can also go for the face in which case, with proper force, the assailant will be unconscious.” Roxas nodded, watching the trainee repeat the moves. 

 

He moved in a mimicked way, one strike of the elbow to an imaginary stomach, liver, spleen, and one big overly confident one to the imaginary face making Vanitas laugh again. Roxas’s chest warmed at the sound, the wolf rousing with adoration. For once though, the wolf didn’t immediately demand to see Vanitas and for that he was grateful. He switched arms and after a few awkward jabs, he got that side down perfectly as well. “These aren’t so bad. I’m surprised they don’t teach this in my pa-...  _ my adopted family _ ,” Roxas corrected quickly, fidgeting uncomfortably. Luckily both the trainee and Vanitas didn’t catch the slip up and he relaxed. “What’s next?” 

 

“Well the last one for today, a  _ ‘base of skull strike’ _ . So you want to pay attention as much as you can in a quick reflex that, with your elbow, you will want to strike the back of the skull area where the part of the brain _ \- the cerebellum- _ is. With enough force in the right area, you can immobilize them or even render them unconscious.” Vanitas motioned for the trainee to demonstrate and then Roxas mimicked. He did the gesture again and again, switching arms every so often. “You sure do catch on quick… that’s reassuring. Now try doing it all.” Roxas did each technique in a row, and then repeated with the opposite arm. Vanitas thanked the trainee and dismissed him, standing with a grin on his face. “This was a great idea Goldie. Watching and teaching you makes me feel like I'm healing a thousand times faster. You staying for dinner tonight?”

 

“You just like watching me sweat,” Roxas joked, playfully punching the other’s arm. He was about to accept the invitation when he heard the faint howl of a meeting. He felt his face fall and knew the other saw it too. “Sorry, I forgot I have… prior engagements. But we will continue this tomorrow right?” Vanitas nodded, then started shaking his head in amusement. Roxas moved to his good side, and lifted to help support his weight. They hobbled to Vanitas’s house, joking and teasing each other about the day’s training. When he finally got Vanitas to the door, they stepped away from each other and he hesitantly looked toward the forest. “Thanks again, for teaching me all this. I know it has to be boring not being able to do much while you heal.” 

 

“Hey, it’s all good idiot. I got a huge kick out of watching you bomb for the first few hours before learning the techniques.” They shared another laugh before the ravenette grew deadly serious. “Don’t be afraid to use these by the way. Especially on… those  _ brothers _ of yours.” Roxas heard the darkness in the other’s voice, but something about the way Vanitas cared resonated through him and made the wolf wiggle against his skin. The sweet smell assaulted his senses and he found himself stepping closer. Vanitas was looking at him in mild surprise, but he didn’t move and say a word. Roxas moved closer again, unable to help himself. He was in some sort of sudden trance. He stopped inches from Vanitas and the two looked at each other, the ravenette in surprise and Roxas in a daze. A slow purr vibrated from his chest, and the movement in his body woke him from the daze. He stumbled backwards, looking downward to hide the burning in his cheeks.  _ Damn it wolf! You… we were so close. No! That’s not what I… 10… 9… 8…  _ “Um… yeah. I’ll… I'll see you tomorrow Goldie.” He heard Vanitas say after clearing his throat.

 

“Ye… Yeah, see you tomorrow.” He quickly turned around, holding his breath to avoid the sweet pull of Vanitas’s scent until he reached the treeline. He sprinted into the woods, heart pounding wildly. He felt his scars burning and the wolf whined inside, wanting out. “You should have thought about that. Punishment.” He ran as long and far as he could until he was panting, a couple miles in. He shifted then, and ran the rest of the way to the pack meeting.

 

“Awww everybody,  _ baby brother _ actually came to the meeting on time!” Xigbar said with a condescending smile. When Roxas shifted back, he stared wildly at the man and the diagonal scar on his chest burned, a rage filling up inside him. “What’s that look for Tiger?” The man laughed humorlessly, walking over and gripping Roxas’s chin tightly between his clawed fingers. Xigbar leaned in, sniffing the boy and he laughed louder in surprise. “Well I'll be damned. The kiddo has a mate. Oh man, what delicious news.” Roxas snarled in response, and out of reflex he pivoted a foot back, shoving his elbow into Xigbar’s stomach as hard as he could muster. The other pack members watched with surprise as the man doubled over, coughing out a laugh. “You… clever little sneak.” He stood there stunned that he was even able to manage the move, when a strong hand pulled Roxas backward.

 

“Causing trouble as soon as you get here? And here I thought you were finally becoming obedient for showing up on time,” Xemnas growled. Roxas yanked free of the Alpha and avoided eye contact as Xigbar grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at him. “What is…?” Xemnas looked mildly surprised at Roxas, moving to confirm something he noticed about the boy. Suddenly Isa stepped in between Roxas and Xemnas, pushing Roxas back behind him in a sheltering way.

 

“Xemnas, every pack member is accounted for,” Isa reported. Xemnas sized him up, almost offended that the beta would interfere but also not surprised as to why. The Alpha sent a commanding glare to Roxas and turned, stalking toward the middle of the pack to start the meeting. Isa turned, giving Xigbar a disgusted once over before he grabbed Roxas by the upper arm and moved him away from the other man. “Stop seeking trouble,” he muttered. Roxas started to “But…”, but Isa shook his head, gently laying a hand to the boy’s shoulder. “Remember, this is a secret. We have to do this discreetly.” Roxas’s shoulders slumped. He knew the man was right, how could they do anything when none of the pack members even acknowledge what’s going on? “However… I am impressed with that move you did. Did  _ your Hunter _ teach you that?” 

 

Roxas felt the burning in his face, partially from embarrassment, partially from bashful pride. “He is  _ not my Hunter _ . But yes. He’s teaching me hand to hand combat. I’m going back tomorrow to learn more.” Isa nodded in approval, ruffling the wild blond hair on the boy’s head. Roxas huffed, and tuned in to what Xemnas was saying, listening halfheartedly. It was all pretty much what Isa said days ago, but with a bit more information on where the pack was allowed to hunt. He also mentioned how he and a few others would be going out to find more hunting grounds. Xigbar volunteered, making the fury in Roxas burn hotter. Isa squeezed his shoulder a little harder in warning, he hadn’t realized he had started growling out loud. 

 

When Xemnas dismissed them, Isa walked him back to his cabin, going through the day’s events. The man listened with a smile in his eyes, interested in how much Roxas was learning. “You are doing a good thing, Roxas,” Isa murmured as they reached the cabin. “I am glad that this Hunter of yours is helping you in many ways.” Roxas laughed, shaking his head with a wide smile.

 

“You have taught me way more!” Roxas beamed at the man, and Isa looked away quickly. Roxas knew it was from an overload of affection, and it was confirmed when the man tapped his index finger to the boy’s forehead. “Oh yeah, would you be able to help me map out the forest?” Isa blinked, stroking his chin in thought. He nodded, making the boy smile wide again. “You are the best you know that?” Isa shared a small smile, ruffling Roxas’s hair again. 

 

“You need a shower and rest. You stink of body odor and mating scent,” Isa murmured, pushing Roxas towards the front door. He laughed with an “Oh thanks,” and opened the door. He moved to the side to invite Isa in but the man shook his head, looking toward the sky. “It’s my turn to do rounds again, but next time come with me okay?” He offered. Roxas looked excited and nodded in agreement, watching the man turn and shift. The beautiful silver wolf looked back at him with a low howl goodnight, and sprinted east. He suddenly felt the exhaustion of the day weighing on him and stretched with a growl before heading to the shower. He let himself sit under the hot stream of water, sighing as his aching muscles loosened up. After the relaxing shower he curled up in his bed and recited the rules of hand to hand combat in his head as he fell asleep.

 

-

 

“The forest is full of small spaces, so for the  _ ‘Long Knee’ _ you will want to pull your opponent closer. You can do this by keeping a hold on the back of their neck while thrusting your knee into their abdomen or groin. You will want to move with your hip, like we did for your upper body,” Vanitas said, signaling to two trainees that were helping that day. For two days after Vanitas started teaching him, he practiced strange exercises and more of the elbow strikes. Once he got the hang of it, the other was ready to teach him more techniques.  _ ‘It’s better to learn a few techniques at a time and then practice them a few days before I overload you with more,’ _ he had said the second day when Roxas had argued. 

 

Roxas watched the two trainees, eyes mostly trained on the hip and knee movements, and when he was satisfied with watching Vanitas had one lead him to a dummy to demonstrate. He refused to do it on one of the trainees, but Vanitas didn’t ask why and he was grateful for that. He straightened up with a deep intake of breath, and then sprang into action. Gripping the straw dummy by the broomstick neck, he moved his knee up and tore through the middle of the stuffed sack belly from the force. Vanitas grinned with approval, ignoring the other two trainees’ gawking faces, and he sheepishly grinned back with a thumbs up.

 

“Hey stupid, I didn’t mean break our training objects,” Vanitas joked, punching his shoulder during a small break. He laughed and shoved back carefully. They had just finished going over the next technique  _ ‘Up Knee’ _ . It was pretty much like  _ ‘Long Knee’ _ but instead you aimed for the chest or head. Depending on where you hit, you could potentially stun or knock the assailant unconscious. “But honestly Weirdo, you catch on so quickly, I so wish I could get you into our Hunters clan.” Roxas about choked but covered it with a laugh. “Well, how are those maps coming along?” He flashed the other a cheeky grin.

 

“My Dad is just about done, he did say in a couple days he wanted me to go hunt with him to see what it’s like, but I’ll bring them in the week after and we can start our plan.” Vanitas looked very pleased with that answer. Now he barely winced in pain with he moved. Even though his arm was still in the sling, his cast on his leg was removed and changed into a funny looking splint. Their plans were coming together pretty well so far, and they were hoping he would be at least mostly healed before their first search in the woods in a few weeks. Even with all the training, he could tell Vanitas was getting restless.

 

“Hey that’s really cool though, tell him I said thank you.” Vanitas looked pleased. After a few more minutes, they were back at it with the techniques. “Alright, this sounds about as simple as it gets.  _ ‘Throat Punch’ _ , yeah I know. But it is one of the most effective ways to mortally wound if you can land the hit. Potentially you’ll crush the trachea; meaning they won’t be able to breathe, some bone fragments may get stuck in their neck, and they’ll be unconscious within minutes.” He waves a hand for demonstration and then smiles with a teacher’s approval. “The trick is, for a male assailant, aim for the adam’s apple with an uppercut, hook, or jab. There are very few, with enough force, that will make it long enough to cause harm back.” Vanitas winked at Roxas and he laughed, getting better at holding in the burn trying to reach his cheeks and the flutter in his stomach. 

 

“Wow, the kids here sure are a messed up bunch,” he jokes, making Vanitas laugh after dismissing the trainees for the day. He nods and smiles wildly. “Remind me not to pick fights with anyone younger than me.” They laughed, walking back to the house. Vanitas was moving around a bit easier with the splint, it made Roxas relieved to see. They were smiling, almost to the house when Xion came hurrying up to them in concern. “Oh hey Xion-”

 

“They found three new bodies,” she said frankly. It was so frank it wiped the smiles right off the guys’ faces. She looked guilty, but they didn’t blame her. Roxas’s blood ran cold, cursing the tan wolf. Vanitas looked visibly irritated and cussed out loud in anger. “Look I didn't tell you guys to upset you, sorry I didn't read the room first. But I figured you would want to know before it spread around the town.” Vanitas turned to Roxas, the anger on his face evident. Roxas’s mirrored his, they needed to hurry up and take down the tan wolf.

 

“Look, go home and get rest immediately. We will start up again early in the morning this time.” His voice was demanding and sent chills through him with inappropriate timing. He nodded, swallowing hard and flashed a less aggressive smile to Xion who gave him an apologetic smile and wave. Roxas hurried home as soon as he could and got ready for some hardcore training the next morning.

  
  


The morning training actually made Roxas pant after a few hours. Vanitas had been surprised with his stamina and wanted to push him as far as he could go. He admittedly had been wrapped up in getting stronger, that he had forgotten to hold back a little bit, but luckily Vanitas didn’t find anything to be suspicious, just unreal. He denied a break when the other offered, and instead pushed his stamina further. He ran a few laps around the town, sprinting every now and then. He ignored the tight burning in his legs, the wolf in him becoming energetic and yet annoyingly whiney. When he made it around the town for the twentieth time, Vanitas stopped him. The ravenette held out a cup of water and watched in amusement as Roxas downed the thing in seconds. 

 

“You are doing incredible. Really lit a fire under your ass huh?” Vanitas joked as they walked back to the ring. The trainees looked tired but they were finishing stretches, getting ready for the next techniques. “I’m going to go ahead and teach you the last four techniques since you’ll be going off with your Dad soon.” Roxas nodded, hopping from foot to foot, all his wolfy energy kicking up his adrenaline rush. “Alright, this technique is called the  _ ‘downward stomp’. _ This is a stomping technique for if you’re able to get the assailant onto the ground or they’ve fallen.” He motioned for the trainees to start the demonstration as he narrated. “You have three options, two of which would be the abdomen or groin area. However, a lot of us that want to make sure the assailant isn’t getting up again, aim for the knee to break it.” Vanitas nodded at the trainees and Roxas watched with calculating eyes.

 

“Next will be the  _ ‘ax stomp,’ _ another from the stomping technique. This one, you’ll want to put all your force into the back of your heel and swing your leg back, hitting the face or abdomen.” The trainees take turns with the demonstration and they get a weighted dummy for him to practice on. After a few goes and Vanitas’s whistle of approval, they move on to the last two techniques. “The last ones are all about your legs and upper body strength. The first one is  _ ‘leg takedown’ _ , you’ll want to grab for one or both legs and pull while pressing the weight of your upper body down on them in the opposite direction. You want to get them on the ground as soon as you can.” He gestures and the trainees follow suit, Roxas taking it all in the best he can. “The last one is  _ ‘leg sweep’ _ which is just another variation of  _ ‘leg takedown’ _   however, you’ll use your leg this time, placing a foot behind their own but still pressing your upper body into them in the opposite direction to get them to the ground.”

 

Roxas practiced all four of the new techniques for a couple hours later than usual, throwing in some of the previous techniques to keep them fresh in his memory. Vanitas nodded with approval and slapped his good hand to Roxas’s shoulder. He grinned weakly, swaying slightly. The concern on Vanitas’s face made him laugh and he waved him away. “I’m okay… just went hard today. We will take that bastard down, Grouch.” He saw the pride in Vanitas’s eyes and felt a strong pull to bring the ravenette into his arms. He instead crossed his arms with a grin, pinching his inner arm with growing claws. “I need to go get ready for the week hunt with my Dad, but I’ll come with the plans and hang out for a while. We have the  _ family _ camping trip after a few days in between the two weeks but that will just give you more time to heal,” Roxas teased. Vanitas made a crude gesture toward him and walked him to the town entrance with a laugh.

 

“I know you’ll be with your Dad, but… come back to me safely okay, Goldie?” As soon as the words left the other’s lips, they both stopped and stared at each other.  _ No, that was just him being friendly. There is no way. God damn it, stop wolf! We are leaving. _ The two stood for a few more awkward seconds, and the longer that Vanitas didn’t retract his sentence to fix it, the longer Roxas felt the growing warmth in his chest. Vanitas’s eyes held a strange emotion in them, but instead of speaking at all, he turned and walked as quickly as his splinted leg would let him to his house. “You better listen Moron!” he heard the ravenette shout out before the slam of his front door echoed through the plaza of the town. Something inside him bubbled with giddiness and he hurried home as soon as he could to get as much rest as he could before the hunt began.

 

-

 

Isa and Roxas had started their hunt, finding old trails from Hunters here and there. Their hunt was to make sure there were still safe places for food gathering, but the two were also using this time as an excuse to figure out all the spots that the tanned wolf had hit recently. They followed the trails in a strange circle, much to Isa’s dismay. “He’s playing with us. Not that I think he knows we are on to him yet, but at least he’s trying to fool around with the Hunters’ trackers,” he muttered while touching a dried blood patch of grass. He shook his head in disgust. “I understand why you would find hunting appalling.” Isa turned his nose up. Roxas was about to laugh when he noticed Isa catch a sent. Only seconds later did he catch the same scent and they turned as one, sprinting towards the cause.

 

They had come up to a starting to decay torso, maggots already infesting the incave of the chest cavity. The rotting smell hit the two strongly and Isa groaned while Roxas held back vomit. “That bastard is getting cocky and hiding the body parts!” he spat weakly. Isa only shook his head in shame, and stalked away quickly, the boy following. When they had gotten to a clearing a few miles away, Isa sighed with disgust.

 

“He made it so if someone like us wanted to track him, they would get stumped. The rotten smell overpowers the scent of his trail,” Isa murmured, rubbing his chin absently. Roxas tilted his head and then shook it with rage. He felt his wolf bristling and tried counting down under his breath. Isa gave him an understanding half smile. “Honestly, this is why I've decided to eat animals like you. Because after you, I don't think I could stomach another human.” This caught his attention, and he blinked stupidly. It sure calmed him down, but he couldn’t believe it. Then again, he was never around when Isa ate, but he trusted the man. They set up camp for a few nights, following aimless trails of Hunters and old trails from Hunters, mapping out the area and the safe spots for the wolves. Occasionally they ran into spots that the tan wolf left, some cleaned up by Hunters, others undiscovered. It left Roxas feeling helpless and distraught, but Isa made a promise to catch the wolf to ease his worries.

 

The last day of the hunt, Isa’s silver wolf padded along some eastern trees, sniffing at old blood stains with a disinterested grunt. The golden wolf bristled and sniffed the air for another trail that would give them any kind of hint to the tanned wolf’s location. The silver wolf scratched at the ground with a growl,  _ Not here… Let’s check our perimeter and then northeast. _ The golden wolf nodded obediently and they sprinted around the perimeter. When everything looked clear, they headed in the northeast direction, checking their surroundings carefully. 

 

When they were getting closer to the northeastern perimeter, they were both assaulted by the fresh smell of blood. It took them every ounce of willpower against their wolves not to howl, and Isa’s wolf gripped the ground, dragging a paw down.  _ We need to be quiet… but we head towards the smell. _ The golden wolf huffed, and they padded softly, flanking each other. The stronger the smell was, the closer they knew they were getting. It was when they were a mile away, when the golden wolf’s ears perked, and it stopped with a soft whine.  _ I… hear someone. _ The silver wolf paused, ear twitching to focus. The silver wolf nodded its big head in response and they padded slower, creeping cautiously. “Pl…ease…” A gurgled moan sounded. The wolves paused mid-step. They knew by the strong scent that whoever it was, was only a few yards away. The gurgling noise continued without any more words, and the golden wolf shook, a prickling feeling making its hackles rise. The silver wolf was turning to check on the golden one, when it snarled, knocking the younger wolf out of the way of a sudden bullet.

 

“You goddamn mongrels. What, are there two of you working…?” The voice made the golden wolf violently tremble, and the silver wolf froze, staring directly at a figure that looked just like a demented version of Roxas. The figure zeroed in on the golden wolf a snarl on his face suddenly. “It fucking is you! You bastard! I’ll finally kill you, before you kill anymore people.” The voice was off, not like the boy’s very much, but Isa recognized those eyes, that hair. Roxas could tell he was making the connection. Those sad teal eyes turned on him before the silver wolf snarled, crouching down in warning. Ventus wasn’t going to back down, Roxas knew better this time. The golden wolf snapped its teeth at the silver one before cautiously backing away. Ventus’s eyes narrowed, lifting the gun in his hands. “Not this time you demon.” He went to pull the trigger, the golden wolf leaping at him at the same time that the silver wolf went to pounce.

 

In the sudden scramble, Ventus was able to get a shot off, but it just missed both wolves. He screamed in a vicious anger, and rolled away from the recovering wolves, pulling out a knife. The silver gleam caught both wolves’ attentions and everything went still for a moment. The golden wolf just barely saw the silver wolf mark the ground before he knew exactly what the plan was. As Ventus leapt to strike, Isa’s wolf dodged to one side, Roxas’s doing the same in the opposite direction. The silver wolf snapped its teeth at the golden one and it nodded, rushing towards the clearing while Isa distracted Ventus. 

 

The golden wolf whimpered softly in distress. It looked around at the mix of Hunters’ sprawled body parts, and felt so many emotions it almost shifted back. Roxas held on, shaking himself.  _ We’ve got this wolf… and we will get that bastard. _ A gurgling noise caught its attention, and the golden wolf padded over to some bushes with legs protruding out of it. With its nose, it pushed away at the bushes, coming face to face with a paling man. His lips were gaping like a fish’s, blood spluttering from the gurgling. He was trying to breathe. The golden wolf’s eyes carried a sorrow that the man seemed to recognize, as it surveyed him. His entrails were spilled around him, but he had a weakening arm that looked as though it had attempted to hold them inside of him. The wolf howled low, mourning the man and his life. The man’s fingers twitched as if he had tried to lift his hand. The golden wolf pressed its muzzle into his hand and it felt the man’s goodbye pat. It watched the light dim from his eyes, and it trembled in confusion and sadness. 

 

The golden wolf hurried back to the silver wolf, showing up just as Ventus was able to just barely cut down the silver wolf’s side. Roxas was stunned, a part of him still unable to believe his brother turned into such a murderous being. With a dark snarl, the silver wolf jumped back, slamming a paw painfully into the dirt. It was the sign that meant spread out and meet back at a perimeter. Ventus had turned just in time to notice the golden wolf was back and the malice that dripped from his features destroyed Roxas all over again. It pained the golden wolf to see Ventus like this, it howled in sadness and sprinted off in the opposite direction. The golden wolf ran as hard as it could, running and running until it was sure it surpassed the perimeter, and it rounded back just in time to see the shifted Isa, slumped over against a tree trunk. Roxas shifted back and ran to the man’s side. “Isa!” 

 

The man’s eyes opened slowly, shaking his head just as slow. “I’m fine… just a scratch. Hurts like a bitch…” Isa muttered, hissing as he barely moved. Roxas gently moved the man, earning a good bit of curses which made him smile. His smile didn’t last long however. There was a long cut running from his right shoulder blade to his hip. Thank goodness they were wolves and the full moon was coming soon, because the cut was starting to heal. But due to the Hunters’ blades being made of special metals that can be highly fatal if hit in the right spot, he knew this would just be another one of the scars that will be permanently on Isa’s body because of him. “I know that look… Stop blaming yourself already,” Isa murmured softly. Roxas trembled, flinching when he felt the warm index finger on his forehead. “I just need a moment of rest, then we can report back alright?” He nodded to the man, sitting beside him with his knees to his chest. 

 

After what felt like a few hours, Isa was in good enough shape to start walking. They walked for the next few hours, pausing anytime Isa needed to take a break. Neither one spoke again until they were an hour away from the pack. “So, that was him huh?” Isa’s voice was soft, with no scorn for the boy that just caused such a large scar down his side. Roxas wished he could be as forgiving as Isa.

 

“Yep… That was Ventus. He…” But Roxas knew he didn’t need to finish.  _ He became a monster, a murderous guy driven by revenge and madness. _ Isa lifted the hand from his good side and ruffled his hair, shaking him from darker thoughts. He appreciated Isa the most and Ventus, his brother, almost tried to kill his Dad. A part of him resented Ventus suddenly. The bigger part hated Xemnas more than ever. If Xemnas hadn't turned him, Isa wouldn’t have these scars, wouldn’t feel like he had to protect him and change his wolf habits. 

 

“You’re thinking too much. The smoke is showing.” Isa’s words caught him by surprise and they paused.  _ Smoke? _ He couldn’t tell if it was genuine or from the stress, but he found himself laughing. Isa paused, soaking in the rarity. “You laugh and smile so much more now…  _ Your Hunter _ is good for you. I wish to formally meet him one day.” Roxas went from laughing to choking in seconds. He watched Isa chuckle and he flushed darkly before shoving the man playfully.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Roxas starts to argue. Isa holds up a hand with a smile hiding in his eyes. The boy huffs before shaking his head, giving up on correcting him. “I would like for you to meet him and his sister Xion.” Isa tilted his head. He looked intrigued and agreed one day they would make a plan for it. They finally got closer to the pack, members hanging around the outskirts. Larxene gave Roxas a sneer before laughing at something one of the others said. He rolled his eyes in response and followed Isa, puffing out his chest a little more to show dominance. He heard her growl and move to get up, and heard one of the ones in her circle stop her, “He’s not worth it Larxene.”

 

“Allow me to update everyone, if you wish to go home you may. You need the rest,” Isa murmured, already pushing him the way towards his cabin. He gave the man a grateful smile, receiving the tap on the forehead. The adoration for the man filled him with the energy he needed to make it to his cabin. As soon as he walked in, he got undressed and got into his bed, out in a matter of minutes.

 

-

 

“Wow you look like hell,” both Vanitas and Xion said in unison when they opened their front door to see he had come by. He laughed and shook his head, holding out rolled up maps. Vanitas looked intrigued, but his eyes passed over Roxas first. He felt the heat crawling from his chest to his ears, he could tell Vanitas was looking for any new scars or anything out of order. “What did you guys like, stay away for days? You look like shit,” the other repeated as he led Roxas into their living room. He laughed, rolling his eyes. He was pleased to see that the ravenette’s walking was getting better. His leg was actually healing faster than expected, however his arm stayed in its sling.  _ Well, with him being able to walk long distances soon, we might be able to go through the forest sooner. He just can’t fight. _

 

“Thanks for the reminder that I look awful twice now,” he joked, elbowing Vanitas. The other laughed and sent him a crude gesture. They laughed together for a moment, and it felt nice after being away for a week. Once they calmed, they were able to roll out some of the maps Isa drew up for him. Vanitas got his colored tape and cut them into small squares. Roxas recognized immediately that he planned on marking all the sightings of a murdered body. “Oh yeah your handy dandy colored tape.” He grinned. The other shoved him over with a laugh.

 

“Kiss my ass. It works doesn’t it? Mocking me in my own home,” Vanitas snapped playfully. They laughed again and the other shook his midnight hair. “Well we’re definitely not too focused. Xion went out to train with her Master. Want to have a go at the ring?” Vanitas was already standing up, and Roxas laughed, standing as well. “As if I have a choice,” he said back. The other winked playfully and for half a second, both of them just stood there looking at each other absently. “I’m glad you’re back safe,” Vanitas mumbled without realizing it. They both looked surprised again and quickly Roxas turned and started walking.

 

“Yeah… uh let’s get to the training ring.” Vanitas and Roxas walked in an awkward silence again, neither really looking at the other. They couldn’t figure out when they started getting awkward with each other, but it was starting to interfere with their investigation. Once they reached the training ring, they both seemed to get back to normal. “So what should I do this time, Master Vanitas?” Roxas teased.

 

Vanitas puffed his chest out with authority. Roxas laughed, which made the other fall into laughter as well and they both sat on the bench for a while. “I guess we needed a laugh huh?” Vanitas said, still snickering. Roxas nodded in response. For a while, he practiced more of the techniques. He thrusts an elbow at a dummy, knees it, causes it to fall, and repeats with the opposite side of his body. Vanitas barks out if he messes up at any point, but for the most part Roxas seems to have gotten the hang of it. Soon Vanitas has him doing some of the exercises from before, and after a few laps around the town, he plops down beside Vanitas, panting. They took a few moments of a breather, the other giving him water to rejuvenate himself and with an exhausted sigh, he asks “What’s next?”

 

Vanitas shrugged in response, looking around. They both know he already did all the exercises and techniques enough times to kill a person. Finally, the other stood, moving toward the weapon case. “How about trying out fighting with a weapon?” Vanitas asked, turning around with a Hunter’s blade extended out toward him. He felt the blood leave his face, his wolf bristling inside, making the hair on his skin stick straight up. He knew the other noticed, because he instantly put the knife away, looking concerned. “Whoa, hey never mind you don’t need to.” 

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I think… weapons just make me nervous,” He started, trying to be reassuring to mask the real reason he didn’t want to touch the blade. He could tell Vanitas wanted to say something else, when a voice rang out from behind them. Roxas turned and felt instantly alert, coming face to face with a tall black haired man with scars on his face who smelled exactly like a wolf. Xion poked out behind him with a big smile and winked at him. He tried to relax, but he felt his wolf go to high alert.

 

“This must be the Roxas I hear so much about,” the man said, his voice gentle. Roxas jumped, looking between Xion and Vanitas. Both looked guilty with smiles on their faces and the man held a hand with a genuine smile on his face. “I am Master Eraqus. I am Xion’s teacher.” Roxas hesitated before extending his hand out to shake the man’s.

 

“You… You’re a werewolf too?” he asked. Eraqus laughed gently, both the man and Xion taking a seat on the bench beside the boys. The man nodded, gesturing to his face with a kind smile.

 

“What gave me away?” Eraqus joked, surprising both boys. Xion giggled, enthralled with the man. He could tell Xion respected this Eraqus just like Vanitas did Xehanort. With the two having so much trust in him, Roxas felt himself starting to wind down from the sudden fear. 

 

“What brings you both here? Are you finished with training today?” Vanitas asked. The man looked thoughtful for a moment, stroking his chin. Roxas was becoming more drawn in to how charismatic Eraqus really was, and relaxed the rest of the way, his wolf wiggling inside of him in a sort of welcoming. 

 

“Actually, your sister brought up something, and I figured the more young I can teach the better.” The man had a sparkling in his eyes almost like they could smile all on their own. “She asked about the history of wolves and humans. And how the Hunters came about.” Vanitas shifted in his seat to look at the man better, and Roxas could tell the other was rather excited to learn about this stuff. He felt the same, peering at the man who looked at him with kindness.  _ Xion must have told him not to tell… He is being so nice though… _ “A long, long time ago… people used to have wolves as companions. They fought together, hunted together, it was a harmonious life for the two beings. But, then one night during a full moon, a woman who was old and ugly passed through a village. She needed shelter, but no one would give it to her. The wolves in the area however, gave her what she needed. This happened a few more times, and again each village sent her away, but the wolves gave her warmth. What the villages and wolves didn’t know, was that she was a sorceress. She gave the wolves that sheltered her human forms as her gratitude. They could live as either one whenever they liked, except for on full moons. That was her only exception, so that they would never forget her generosity.” The man looked at the three kids who all looked surprised and in awe.

 

“I’ve never heard of this before,” Roxas says, Vanitas nodding in agreement. The man laughed, looking at the two boys thoughtfully. Roxas wondered why no one ever told him about this story, he wondered if the pack, or Isa even knew it was a story that existed. Somehow though, his wolf seemed to resonate with it.

 

“Well of course, this happened centuries before your times, young ones. As time went on, the human shifters started to become dubbed Werewolves. For a while, they were able to live among humans, and mate with them or their own kind and produce offspring. However, one day a fight broke out, and the largest Werewolf scratched someone in the process. Now, there had been accidents before and no wrong had ever happened. But when this large Werewolf scratched the person, they became increasingly ill. As soon as they were brought into the hospital, they died, only to have their heart restart moments after pronounced dead.” The man paused to watch the three give each other knowing looks before they all trained their eyes on him again. “They found out then, that an Alpha’s claws carry a venom in them to make a werewolf or kill a human. The problem they found, was if the host had reached a certain age, if they were to turn and survive, they would go mad. And that is indeed what happened to the person who was scratched.” Eraqus watched Roxas, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

 

Roxas absently rubbed his stomach, listening very closely to every word this man was saying. “The humans and werewolves had become enemies that day. The werewolves thought that the sorceress had given the Alpha such powers to ‘pass judgement’ on humans that wronged her, for it was the Alphas that allowed her shelter in their packs. They became vicious, attacking humans and even going as far as to eat them. It was not until another century passed, that the Hunter clans were born. Human will was becoming stronger, evolving, and the werewolves were becoming more vicious, stuck in their old ways. It started with just a small faction of humans. They began learning how to attack, learning what made wolves sick. And started finding a way of using that information against them to protect those who no longer wished to fight the werewolves.” Vanitas and Xion exchanged glances, he gave her a reassuring look and she looked grateful. Roxas watched the siblings in awe. Eraqus cleared his throat before continuing.

 

“Once that faction grew, they expanded. Soon there were many people in this faction, and they decided to go by the Hunters. As the next century went by, the faction started to get too overpopulated, and thus they split it up, and the main leaders all chose an area specific to their place of origin. That is why there are four main clans. The North clan, Western clan, South clan, and Eastern clan. After years of constant battle, some of the werewolves realized they didn’t like how the werewolves were stuck in their old ways. They wanted to evolve too. And thus, we started the Treaty of Fangs. But, only the South clan abides by that treaty anymore. The leaders of the other clans have all forgotten or choose to ignore its existence. This is why the South town is very welcoming of werewolves that do not pose a threat to our families here.” Eraqus stands, stretching for a moment, commenting about ‘old bones,’ which makes the other three laugh. “I feel as though I have done my duty as a teacher. Keep this in mind though, to be changed against your will, and to have survived, means you are of a strong soul. Sadly though, you are even luckier to have been changed at such a young age.” The man pets Xion’s head affectionately, bowing to the other boys. “But I must take my leave. Please remember, you three are only children.”

 

“Oh… Thank you for the history lesson Master Eraqus,” Roxas mumbles lamely. He wasn’t exactly sure, but he felt as though that last sentence meant he knew what he and Vanitas were up to. Eraqus bows again to Roxas, and claps Vanitas on the back as he leaves. “What a funny guy,” he murmurs. Vanitas and Xion watch him go, and turn to Roxas nodding in agreement.

 

“We’ve known him since the accident. But honestly, he’s the best man I've ever met,” Vanitas says reluctantly. Roxas grins, bumping into the other playfully. The ravenette flushes, shoving him back and they both laugh.

 

“Look who isn’t always a Grump,” Roxas remarked as they all started walking back to the house. Vanitas shot him a look and grinned wildly.

 

“Look who is always a Moron,” Vanitas shot back. Roxas placed a hand to his chest feigning offense, and they both hear Xion mutter “Idiots” under her breath. They all laugh walking into the house. They all look at each other, and nod in agreement, going to the living room table to finish with the mapping of the forest together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consequences can be greater than we think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //Here we are at Chapter 5! I hope you all have liked it so far because i'm sure i'll ruin it for you with this chapter haha... ENJOY
> 
> Love- Fox
> 
> P.S. I want to thank the lovely LRen for going back and editing all my chapters for me including the Latest one, You are a blessing <3//

“So this is where the latest bodies were found, and this is where me and Roxas found the body the first time. This is where the three bodies Shi said they found the other day were located. So it looks almost too erratic. How is this one wolf getting around all these areas?” Vanitas was hunched over one of Isa’s maps, putting a placemark in every location a body was found, and everywhere Vanitas and Roxas had looked. Roxas looked over the ravenette’s shoulder with concern pulling his eyebrows down.  _ That is pretty erratic, even for a wolf. _ He scratched his head and shared a look with Xion.

 

“It’s so weird, because I really don’t think werewolves or even wolves are really capable of that much of a leap of area in such a short amount of time…” It didn’t make any sense to Roxas. Something wasn’t right here and he knew it. He wasn’t sure how ---- was doing it.  _ Maybe he’s hiding bodies and dragging them along to different places? To make it look suspicious? _ He frowned and Xion sighed shakily, looking out the window at the waxing gibbous moon. It was the second to last day of it too, which meant their wolves were acting out because of the pull. He felt badly for her, because it had to be difficult being locked in a small space as a wolf.

 

They had been going over the maps for a few days now, and it was getting closer to the full moon. He knew Xion felt it too. The pull for werewolves was hard. Being near Vanitas when his wolf still wanted to finish the mating process, on top of a full moon, made it hard to concentrate. Occasionally he had to turn away and calm down when his canines would start to enlarge. He had gotten up quite a few times to  _ ‘go stretch his legs’ _ just to reel in the wolf and try to relax. They had gotten pretty far into where they would go when Vanitas’s leg at least finished healing. Once Roxas got back they would go into it further. He stood with a groan and looked at the clock on the wall with a look of dread. ‘ _ Camping’ time…  _ He muttered to himself before turning to the siblings. “Well, my Dad is probably getting impatient with me. The…  _ brothers _ like to get antsy when I’m late.” Vanitas gave him a deadpanned look, and it made him laugh. He was really starting to see how much Vanitas hated his  _ brothers _ and it warmed him inside.  _ If only he knew just how bad most of them were. _ He felt the poke of his canines again and sighed, looking away self-consciously. “I’ll see you guys in a week,” he said softly, and smiled closed mouth at the siblings. Vanitas looked like he was about to get up but he stopped the ravenette with a laugh. “Calm down, I know how a door works. Relax and heal faster, Grouch.” 

 

Vanitas gave him a rude gesture and they shared a laugh before he turned, heading for the door. Just as he opened it to leave, he knew Xion was standing behind him. “You have to be careful okay? Vanitas is stupid, but he’s going to worry the whole time about you. Don’t do anything rash.” He turned his head toward her and gave her a grin, flashing his canines. She made a little gasp and giggled at him but he let her, laughing too. Her understanding him made being around so much easier. “Be safe, and see you after the moon.” He reached out to pat her head and nodded. He stepped out into the night and inhaled the crisp air before he sprinted into the forest line. After he shifted, the wolf howled long, calling for the moon’s safe phase. It found its way to Roxas’s cabin and it shifted back just in time for a large wolf to shift at the treeline north of his cabin with Isa in tow. 

 

“You have been giving us quite the surprise, with such obedience lately,” Xemnas’s deep voice rumbled. When he reached Roxas, the man took his chin into his hands and lifted it. He had to fight himself from ripping away, but the disgust on his face was evident. Even Isa looked tense like he wanted to rip the Alpha’s hand away.  Xemnas only humorlessly chuckled, releasing him. “We have agreed on where to go, so be ready  _ boy _ ,” The Alpha ordered. The wolf in him obeyed instantly, making him nod out of reflex.  _ Stupid moon pull… wolf, who’s side are you on anyways? _ he snapped to his wolf. The Alpha turned away and went to stand at the treeline, awaiting Roxas and Isa, and the other man looked at him. Isa silently shifted his chin in order, and Roxas had an easier time obeying this man over the Alpha. Together they joined the silver haired Alpha and shifted together, heading for the pack to prepare for the full moon.

 

-

 

Full moons are always hard on the body the next few days after. It’s why Roxas always just lays in his bed, groaning while Isa comes by every few hours to feed him. Isa, being a born werewolf, meant his body and his wolf had much more experience with full moon pulls, thus it didn’t quite affect him as bad anymore. The full moon was a cruel reminder to Roxas that he was stuck. There was no reversal for this curse brought upon him.  _ Damn you Xemnas… damn you Xigbar… Damn the whole pack! _ he groaned. He remembered what the man Eraqus said before, and it angered him further.  _ This isn’t my stupid gift. This is my curse. I’m forced to be shifted for a whole full moon cycle because some old witch decided to give a ‘gift’ to wolves. _ He tried to sit up, but his whole body ached. Bruises from the night of the full moon were finally about faded from his skin and he glared up at the ceiling.

 

“I don’t think that is going to make you feel any better,” Isa’s voice rang out. Roxas scoffed but the smell of some sort of cooked meat brought him into a sitting position. He winced, but it was well worth the pain as the man brought in a whole chicken in a dish. He looked famished even though he had just eaten not even a couple hours ago. He tried to keep from snatching it from the man, and Isa shook his head with amusement. The man sat at the foot of his bed and watched him tear into the chicken like it was his last meal. He paused for a moment to rip a chunk off and held it out to the man. Isa’s eyebrows lifted in surprise but he took it, and they sat like this for a while until the dish was all cleaned bones. “You must be excited to see  _ Your Hunter _ again soon.” Roxas’s face flushed and he sighed.

 

“You will never give that up will you?” He laughed though, and sat there thoughtfully licking his fingers clean. “I am though, we have some more things to go over and I want to see if he’s healed any farther. That is one thing I don't miss, slow human healing. The enlarging canine thing is annoying though,” he remarked. Isa’s head whipped toward him, staring at him with more surprise. He felt subconscious and realized he probably should have kept the enlarging canines to himself.

 

“Your wolf is trying to finish mating him.” Isa was partially amused when he said it. Roxas however was less amused. He looked away with a glare and crossed his arms. The man watched him for a moment before patting his leg. “You are lucky to have found your mate. It isn’t easy to do with most packs scared off into different forests and most of the wolves here not wanting anything to do with the Treaty Wolves or the humans.” 

 

“Yeah, well I don’t feel very lucky. Why can’t the wolf just let me handle things without becoming a seemingly neurotic person?” He snapped. Isa nodded in agreeance, with a shrug he stood and looked down at the boy. Roxas felt himself calm after getting that out there, and handed the man the bone filled dish with a ‘Thank you’. Isa ruffled his hair with his free hand and tapped an index finger to his forehead.

 

“I know, it isn’t fair to you to not get that normal youth you deserved.” Isa sounded sad when he spoke, regretful even though it wasn’t even his fault. Roxas winced as he reached out to take Isa’s hand and moved the man’s index finger to his forehead again. Isa knew he was saying he didn’t blame him and the man shifted his feet, looking away. “Get some rest, you want to be in good shape when you see… the Hunter right? I caught some wind of something, and I'm going to be investigating tomorrow, so be safe and obedient while I’m off.” 

 

Roxas felt his chest tighten. He looked up at Isa, smiling with adoration and nodded. “Be careful Isa, if you need help just howl for me!” He said it with a grin, and was surprised when Isa laughed. He beamed at the sound and carefully lay back to hurry his healing process, his eyes already closing. “Good night Isa.” 

 

“Good night… _ son. _ ”

 

The next morning, Roxas still had some aches but he was able to stand and stretch most of the aches out and that was enough to send him toward the South town. He felt jittery with excitement, ready to see how the ravenette was doing and how Xion fared during the full moon. The closer he got to their house, the more nervous excitement went through him. Xion opened the door just as he reached the step and he laughed bringing her into a hug. It shocked both of them and she laughed. “You are in such a good mood,” she said, a smile brightening her face. He was pleased to see she looked good. She moved to the side to allow him to enter and he sniffed the air, the scent of Vanitas was coming from the bedroom. “Go ahead, he should be in there, I'm sure he will be  _ thrilled _ ,” she said. She had a grin forming on her face that made him pause for a moment but he shrugged and headed toward the room across from the living room.

 

He didn’t even think to knock, and opened the door to greet the other. Suddenly he knew why Xion had a big grin on her face as she had offered him to go. Vanitas had his back turned to the door in the middle of trying to button the bottom of his pants, growling to himself about how difficult it was without his other hand to help. Vanitas had been shirtless, his back had small scratches but a rather prominent scar just under his ribcage. His normally wild midnight hair damp from a shower. “Shit Shi, what have i told you about barging in? But since you did, do you think you could you help me-” Vanitas turned but froze just as their eyes met. For a long moment, they just stood there staring at each other. Roxas knew he was burning with a flush, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. His wolf was excited to see Vanitas and it made Roxas’s skin crawl. His canines started to enlarge with the wolf’s want and he slapped a hand over his mouth in shock, backing away. He yelped when his back hit the wall beside the door, never taking his eyes off Vanitas, and when he finally got into the hallway he slammed the ravenette’s door shut.

 

“Aw, did you at least help him with the button?” Xion asked with a giant amused grin. Roxas shot her a glare and pointed at the door with a frustrated noise. She laughed and winked at him playfully before heading to her brother’s door. She gave it a knock, still giggling to herself. “Hey, did you need my help?” She asked through the door. She laughed loudly when she got a “Fuck off Shi” in response. “I so love messing with the two of you,” she said, taking Roxas by his arm and leading him to the living room. 

 

When Vanitas finally came into the room, neither of the boys would make eye contact with each other. Xion snickered, and stood to get some snacks. But he knew she was leaving them alone to talk about what had just occurred. They sat in the awkward silence for a while and he used that time to notice that the splint on the other’s leg was gone. All he had left was the sling that his arm stayed limp in. “I… I see your leg thing is gone,” he murmured, stealing a glance at Vanitas. He was surprised to see those amber eyes boring into him, and he looked away quickly.

 

“I see you managed to be safe during your camping trip,” Vanitas said, leaning to move the rolled up maps onto the table. “But yeah, Dr. Lea said I still need to take it easy, nothing faster than a walk, but I didn't need the splint any longer.” This pleased Roxas, and he knew his wolf was feeling the same way. They sat in awkward silence again for a moment before the other cleared his throat. “You know, you never did tell me about what happened to your cheek,” Vanitas murmured, absently flattening the edges of a map they had tagged. Roxas felt like the other wanted to say more, and noticed eyes on his chest.  _ He knew about the scar on my chest from Xigbar? _ He looked away again and shook his head.

 

“And you never told me why you hate Ventus so much.” He said it without realizing it, and they both sat in silence again. Vanitas looked surprised at the response and Roxas could tell the other was figuring out that Xion had mentioned something to him. He looked at the ravenette and tilted his head, images of his brother attacking him danced around in his mind. “What did he do…?” His voice was just a whisper. He was becoming afraid to ask. He no longer knew his brother, and honestly it felt like they weren’t even brothers anymore. How could they be? It’s been ten years. Roxas had been ‘dead’ for ten years.    
  
“You aren’t going to be too pleased with the answer. Your brother had lost his shit,” Vanitas said. His tone wasn’t mean like it usually was when talking about Ventus. Roxas understood him though, he saw it firsthand. “When I turned ten, Leader Xehanort promised to take me under his wing and train me. See, Xehanort is one of the most respected leaders, the strongest. I guess you had just disappeared the year before on them, because that little nine year old brat wasn’t too pleased when he found out Xehanort already had someone planned to be under him. Those parents of yours… no offense but they were also monsters.” Vanitas paused with an apologetic look when he flinched at the mention of his parents. “I mean, I don't really blame them per se, I think if I thought my son was dead I would be pretty pissed off too.” They both grew silent for a moment. Roxas honestly felt more upset that he hardly knew what they looked like anymore. But Vanitas wasn’t wrong, his parents  _ were _ monsters and his biggest regret was leaving Ventus with them.

 

“Well… anyway, so they throw a big fit and Xehanort decides we’re going to spar to show what motivates us. Ventus was obviously fueled by hate, and I think the Leader knew it just from looking into those eyes. Like, shit, I thought  _ I _ was hateful until I met that shithead.” Vanitas flashed another apologetic grimace before Roxas smiled reassuringly and he continued. “Well, long story short, the next day I won. Shi and our uncle showed up, and that damn sore loser was going to take a hit at me while I had my back turned. Shi noticed him and got all defensive but she was growling and stuff. It would be hard for anyone not to notice she was a werewolf. So I guess he really harbored a hatred for them. I mean me too, but he was letting it consume him. He tried to attack my sister and I shielded her with my body and… well I don’t remember much other than he stabbed me with one of his parents’ Hunter knives.”

 

Roxas felt his whole world tilt for a moment. That scar on Vanitas back was from his own brother’s hand. Regret filled his features and he couldn’t bear to look at the other. “Just to clarify, I don't hate him because he stabbed me, I hate him because he went after my sister. Hey whoa, Goldie.” He felt the other touch his arm and realized he was shaking. He looked up helplessly and Vanitas’s eyes grew wide. “Goldie… It’s okay, it isn’t that big of a deal. Now he’s just a douchebag,” Vanitas says quickly, trying to change the mood. It worked, and he felt a laugh bubble up past the sadness that was lodged in his throat. “You are so lame.” Roxas had managed with another laugh. Vanitas punched his shoulder in answer. “Wow, aren’t you supposed to say something like heroic or something? I did save my sister after all!” Vanitas boasted.

 

“Of course, of course… you are right about that.” He smiled, but it faltered. He couldn’t get past the imagine of a smaller, angrier Ventus stabbing a younger Vanitas. Xemnas not only ruined his life, he scarred his brother’s life. “Sometimes… my  _ brothers _ um… they play too roughly. So if you’re worried about any scars, I'm fine,” he mumbled to answer Vanitas from before. It wasn’t completely untrue, and they both knew it wasn’t the real truth either. But the other seemed to let it go for now. 

 

“Well, as much as I love depressing heart to hearts, shall we get started on our next course of action?” Vanitas asked to lighten the mood. They both laughed and Roxas felt the sadness and tension slowly disintegrate. He was very glad to have met Vanitas when he did. Xion finally came in with the snacks, and he knew she had been waiting for them to talk. He was grateful for her, she was becoming one of his good friends and it made him happy to have her understand him so well.

 

They all huddled around the coffee table, munching on snacks while pointing at various spots on the map. They laughed at small jabs that they made to one another, and Roxas couldn’t help but forget for a moment that he was a werewolf and not human like the boy beside him.

  
  


-

 

Xemnas had told him that he was going out with the ones who volunteered again, which meant Isa was in charge as usual. He looked over at the remaining pack members lazing around after their morning perimeter checks and rubbed the X shaped scar on his forehead in thought. It wouldn’t be the first time he left to go on a single Hunt, and the pack members knew better than to step out of line. In fact, Roxas was the only one who really disobeyed anything Xemnas ever ordered.  _ That boy… _ Isa sighed. He took inventory on the pack members, and paused.  _ That’s odd. Did Vexen choose to volunteer last minute? _ He thought for a moment. It wasn’t odd for Vexen to disappear, he did it often. He was a weird one, constantly popping in for a meeting but far in the treeline, and Xemnas never questioned it before, he always let the man do such weird things.

 

Isa shook his head dismissively and walked to the members that remained. “I have some perimeter checks I want to do, you are all welcome to relax, but stay in the pack’s resting area,” he ordered. The wolves all gave him excited responses, and most shifted to stretch their wolf’s legs for fun. He watched them for a moment, awed by how some of these members were obedient but radiated so much ferocity. He turned and started to walk, finding his legs taking him to the cabin that belonged to the boy. He shook his head, knowing full well that Roxas was intermingling with his human Hunter and the younger wolf girl. He walked to the cabin and opened the door. The smell of the boy was everywhere. He walked to the bedroom and grimaced at the poorly made bed. He made the bed and tidied the room, before moving to the living room. 

 

“This boy… I will have to have a talk with him about tidiness sooner or later.” He knew he wouldn’t though. This was his way of caring for the boy that wanted as much independence as he could get without getting caught being too soft to him. He knew the more he was soft towards Roxas, the more Xemnas questioned his loyalty. Though, even he was questioning  _ his own _ loyalty. “Can there even be a question of loyalty when it comes to your own child?” he asked himself out loud. He looked over at a small table, and tilted his head to look at the picture in a frame that rested on it. It was a picture Roxas had forced Isa to take with him.  _ ‘Come on Isa! We have to make memories, or else how will future werewolves know about how great you are?’ _ He remembered the day as if it were yesterday. Roxas had been a lot younger then, cuter and more docile in that childlike way. He had been getting used to the wolf lifestyle then, and Isa’s face had been unmarked at the time. He rubbed his scar absently and felt himself smile. 

 

He would do it all over again. He would let Xemnas mark his whole body if it meant protecting Roxas. That was  _ his _ child. Everyone knew, it was hard not to know. For the first five years of Roxas’s new life, he stuck to Isa like glue. Used to follow him around like a duckling and Isa had never felt so much warmth and love for another like he did for the boy. Not that he would ever voice that to any other for fear of what they might do to him. He remembered the first time he felt that overwhelming parental affection. He could hardly figure out how to reciprocate back to the boy every time he was hugged by him. So he started tapping Roxas’s forehead with his finger. It was the easiest way to show the boy he cared, and he knew the boy knew it. It made Roxas beam like a light every time. His chest began to ache in such an odd way, his wolf was also very protective of the boy and his wolf. It came with the bonded territory. “He’s getting so big… isn’t he wolf? It makes me wonder if by some chance his genes carry…” He shook his head at the thought, even though his wolf was in agreement with where his thought was going.

 

After a few more minutes of reminiscing and tidying up, he walked to the front door, giving the cabin a look over once more before he nodded with satisfaction. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he shifted into the big silver wolf. It knew just as well as he did the repercussions, but neither cared. They wanted to believe in Roxas, if the tan wolf is who they think it is, they would find the evidence in the boy’s place to keep him from danger.  _ They are still pups, we can’t very well let them go after such wolves as ----... _ The wolf huffed with understanding. It turned south, and sprinted off, taking a short detour.

 

At the treeline of the South town, Isa stood hidden by the trees. He could sense Roxas in a house, could just tell that the boy was laughing. It surprised him, the boy was laughing and having a kind of normal time. He felt comfort with these other kids.  _ Roxas… you deserved so much more than you got. I’m so glad you found these people. _ He touched a hand to his heart, warmth filling his chest just knowing his child was safe. He turned to leave, but paused when a rich fragrance drifted from the town. He stiffened, looking back to survey the crowds of people walking about. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact person, but that didn’t matter right now and with a shake of his head, he turned and shifted to leave.  _ We don’t have the time for a mate wolf… we need to find the culprit first. We’ve been holding off too long. _ The wolf rumbled a response and headed off for the Western town first.

 

There were many trails that Hunters used in the western forest, the wolf was careful, calculating which routes to take to avoid human contact. It would evade them if one came into sight, but it would run if one tried to harm them. Roxas had somehow instilled certain humane values into them that they had never thought to do before. Before, all human life was free game, it was eat or be killed. Even though there was the Treaty of Fangs in place, Xemnas didn’t want any of the pack to associate among any of those types. It was one of the many reasons Xemnas avoided the South town. One of the reasons Isa was glad it was a place the boy found solace.

 

A smell hit the wolf’s senses, and it rushed down toward a creek. There lay slightly fresh remains of a disembodied human. It heard the soft wail of an infant and it’s ears perked.  _ An infant…? This was a mother… and her last memory was probably hiding her infant before...  _ A growl rumbled through both of them, a hatred growing in the bit of their stomach. They sniffed around, until they found some bushes that began to thrash around with more muffled wailing. Isa shifted, and knelt before the bushes, uncovering some branches to find a small infant. It’s bottle had fallen from it’s lips and made it fussy. A burning sadness crept into his chest. “Clever woman… hiding the infant and quieting it for as long as possible to give it a chance.” He cradled the small thing into his arms. He wasn’t too far away from the western town, he would bring the child to the treeline. The infant calmed in his arms, cooing softly and tugging at his long strands of hair. Something about the child made him think of Roxas, and the wave of sadness hit him all over again.

 

Once he got the child to the treeline, he laid the infant down and whistled to gain attention. He realized that wasn’t necessary after he did it because as the infant realized it was no longer being held by warmth, it began to screech. He turned quickly and shifted, getting as far away as he could and hoping for the best life for the now orphan child. The wolf returned to the creek and sniffed the area, finding a scent of a wolf there. Isa was surprised, the scent was familiar but faint. It headed further in, almost east. 

 

The silver wolf hopped over the creek and headed northeast to follow the scent. When it got about half way, it found that the scent split. One scent trail went north, the other went east. It was erratic to say the least.  _ Why would the wolf go one way, just to retrace it’s way back…? It must be some sort of guise. _ The wolf patted the ground, and they both agreed to follow the north trail first, the north being the most heavily guarded. The wolf was almost to a clearing when a heavy copper smell filled it’s nose. Isa shifted, and cautiously found his way toward the clearing. He stopped just outside of the clearing, but that was all he needed. He could see three different torsos, at least what was left of them. There was a hand here or there and weapons scattered in a weak attempt of fighting off the wolf that bombarded their station. The disembodied Hunters didn’t have a chance even, this wolf torn through and had no kind of mercy on these men. Isa shook his head in disbelief. “Was this even necessary? This is… gruesome and tasteless even for a wolf.” He turned away, noticing that the scent trail ended here and shifted, the wolf hurrying back to the other scent trail before they lost it.

 

Once they started heading east, the scent trail began to get stronger. It was becoming more recent, the wolf probably took a break after hitting the two seperate areas. They moved as quietly as they could muster, following the scent for what felt like an eternity. The wolf perked, Isa sensed it too. There were two wolves up ahead. The wolf recognized one as ---- and it hurried toward the clearing. Another massacre had just occurred when they had reached the edge of the clearing. Bodies were everywhere and there was a human in the mouth of one of the wolves. At the sight of the tanned wolf, the silver wolf collided into it and both shifted into human forms. He completely dismissed the other, lighter tanned wolf and held the tanned wolf by the throat. “Oh ho ho,  _ Mommy _ to the rescue? You really shouldn’t have betrayed us.” Isa snarled in response, pinning the tanned wolf man to the ground. The other laughed and tilted his head toward the shifting lighter tanned wolf. “You’ve got the wrong guy.” Isa stupidly let confusion get the better over him, looking over at the other wolf. Surprise filled his features. “It’s about time you noticed.” The tanned wolf took advantage of Isa’s loosened grip and rolled the two of them before jumping away quickly.

 

“You…” Isa stood, his stance becoming aggressive as he looked at the two tanned wolves and shook. His own wolf recoiled at the betrayal of his own pack brothers. Roxas was right about something. It was a member from the pack. But Isa was starting to get the feeling it was much more than that. He took a step toward the two, but the tanned wolf smirked. Pain shot through him, lighting his back on fire. He was surprised, and tried to turn only to feel more pain flare through his body. He gasped out and crumbled to his knees, trying to breathe through the sudden pain. He felt the burning but also the cold wet feeling, knowing full well blood was seeping from whatever wound he managed to receive. He was confused, he hadn’t sensed any others. Or had he been too distracted to notice. His hair was grabbed, and his head ripped back in pain as he was forced to look up at the assailant. His eyes widened, some part of him always knowing that it would have something to do with him.

 

“Looks like, you were right after all. I must kill you, only… it is before the boy disappears.” The deep voice said in a menacing tone. “You should have just stayed out of it, let the boy slip up. You should have stayed loyal.” There was another strike of pain, this time into his side. He gritted his teeth to keep from giving the three men the satisfaction of showing pain. The other two wolves came into his line of sight, the lighter tan one with a crazed look in his eyes, a smile widening. They each got to take a swipe at Isa and he endured it the best he could, but the throbbing burn was making his sight go hazy. He felt his wolf writhe in pain, whatever was striking them was made out of Hunter’s metal. The pain was too great, and his wolf couldn’t shift like he needed. His last thought was of the boy, his bonded child… his  _ son _ .  _ I am so sorry… Rox….as… _ And everything went black.

 

“Oh this is a delightful change of events… I cannot wait to break  _ the mutt _ .”

 

-

 

Roxas wolf flinched, causing a strange pain in his chest. It made Vanitas and Xion look over at him with concern. He smiled and gave them a reassuring smile. “I think i just got heartburn.” Vanitas laughed at the face Xion made and Roxas joined in. “I’m kidding, the food was good! Thank you guys for inviting me for a late lunch.” He grinned. Xion smiled and shoved him playfully before Vanitas retorted.

 

“Well duh idiot, we can’t leave your stomach growling. It was getting annoying.” Roxas punched Vanitas’s arm at the jab and they laughed again. The three settled again the couch in the living room after they ate, and relished in their future plans. They were sure to catch the wolf in question as some point. He would be ready when they did. His mind drifted to Isa and another wave of pain trembled through from his wolf. He rubbed his chest absently, unsure of what that even meant. His wolf was panicking every so often. “Hey Goldie, you okay man?” Vanitas nudged him. He was about to answer when he heard the faint howl of an important meeting. The call was repeated multiple times, as if to emphasize that Roxas  _ had _ to attend. 

 

“Oh yeah, sorry I need to head back a little early today, my  _ brothers _ needed to talk to me about something,” Roxas said cooly, but he noticed a passing look on Xion’s face. Of course she would have heard it, but something about the look she had for a moment stuck with him. “I promise to back safe and sound.” He laughed, attempting to reassure both Vanitas and Xion. Vanitas shook his head with distrust for his pack members, but Xion harbored many emotions in her eyes that made him feel a strange creeping feeling.

 

He headed out the door, and walked out toward the treeline. Something felt so weird, didn’t they just have a meeting? He hoped it wasn’t more Hunters expanding their own perimeters. He shifted and hurried toward the pack meeting spot. His wolf pushed them faster around the trees. He was surprised at how quick his wolf was moving, with an odd sense of urgency. It made it to the clearing and shifted. It was a full group today. Even that weird loner Vexen was in the circle, a giant creepy grin on his face. Xemnas looked at Roxas with such dark eyes that he felt the wolf in him cower. He stood his ground however, and tilted his chin. He scanned the faces of each wolf and noticed a similar pattern in each of them.

 

They all had the same grim expression, all of them staring directly at him. He was used to being scrutinized but something about they way they all looked disgusted unsettled him. Xigbar was smiling condescendingly at Roxas and he glared back with a rude gesture. It was something he learned from Vanitas, and by the look Xigbar gave him, it was a lot ruder than the ravenette had led on. “Now that the child has finally decided to grace us with his presence. We have a matter at hand-” Xemnas began. Roxas’s eyes scanned the group one more time, realizing that they were missing someone.

 

“Xemnas wait! Where is Isa? Shouldn’t we wait for him?” Roxas interrupted. A lot of the pack members snarled at him for being so rude to the Alpha. They shouted at him “Mutt” and “Disrespectful” and “Get what he deserves” and he only snarled back at them, confused as to why they were ganging up on him so suddenly. Xemnas back handed him so hard he felt the sting blossom in his cheek. He was confused and angry at the response. It was a simple question. Isa was always present, he was the second hand beta, he wouldn’t miss an important meeting. He bared fangs at Xemnas, and the man gripped the boy by his throat, giving it a warning squeeze. He was held like that while the Alpha decided to continue, already annoyed with Roxas.

 

“As I was saying. We have a matter at hand. It would seem… we have a traitor or two amongst us.” Xemnas’s deep voice became darker. Everyone’s faces became grim again, and Roxas was excited that Isa was able to find evidence. It was short lived however, when the grip on his neck tightened again and he gasped, clawing at the Alpha’s hand. He peered up with frantic eyes and watched the silver haired man nod his head to Xigbar. His eyes followed Xigbar’s movements like a hawk. The thin, wicked man nodded with obedience and went off into the woods. After a silent tense moment, the man returned holding a familiar limp body. Xigbar threw the bleeding limp body into the middle of the pack’s circle and some of the kinder members looked away with guilt in their eyes. Others snarled at the body, yelling “Traitor!” in a growling kind of chant. “It would seem, some of your own brothers… would have you believe one amoung us is the cause for all those…  _ unfortunate _ mutilations of humans and Hunters as of late. So much so, that this boy had my most trusted snoop around where he didn’t need to.”

 

Roxas’s whole body went cold. An earth shattering pain took over and his eyes never left the body, blood starting to pool around it.  _ No… No that can’t be him… It can’t be Isa… He’s fine. Isa is fine. He… So much blood.  _ The world around him warped. He couldn’t hear anything anymore. His ears were ringing, and his wolf was wracking mourning cries inside of him. The man who was always there, always protecting him from all harm. He caused this. It was his fault. “My… Father…” He couldn’t hear his own voice, but felt his lips moving. He didn’t notice the eyes of the pack members on him, he didn’t realize he was vibrating with immense sadness, and he didn’t notice that he had clawed crazed against the Alpha’s hand. He made it free, and before anyone could move, he skidded toward Isa. He lifted the bloodied body as gently as he could, and ignored the hot tears that fell onto the dying man’s face. “Isa… DAD…  _ PLEASE DAD WAKE UP _ !” He shook the man. His whole world was ending, he screamed and howled. He was beginning to snap. 

 

Someone in his peripheral vision took a step toward them and he felt the savage snarl that rumbled out his throat. Him and his wolf synchronizing with pain. He tore his gaze from the man in his arms and something dark passed through him. He laid Isa’s body down, and stood. He felt the pull of his wolf, ready to tear apart his whole pack. “Who… who did this to my Father?” he spat. Xemnas stood his ground, but the rest of the pack looked uneased suddenly. There was a kind of darkness radiating from the boy. Xigbar laughed, and it caught Roxas’s attention. Without warning, Roxas shifted and his wolf was on Xigbar in a matter of seconds. The man looked surprised. The whole pack looked surprised. Xemnas shifted and tackled the crazed golden wolf. The two rolled, but the golden wolf got to its feet faster, leaping and tearing into Xemnas’s side. The white wolf snarled in response and swiped across the golden wolf’s face, knocking it over. At this point, Xigbar had shifted and attacked the golden wolf from one side. It turned, sensing the tanned wolf and snapped it’s jaw in warning. 

 

It whipped its head toward the pack members who remained in their human forms, some were heading for Isa until it snarled at them. They took a step back, some staring at him in awe. “He is bigger than Xemnas…” “How is that possible?” “He’s only a mutt!” The wolf ignored their words, turning toward the white wolf, snarling. It heard Vexen cackling in the background and apart of it wanted to snap the man in half but Roxas couldn’t focus on much. All they knew was kill, protect Isa and kill. The golden wolf took a swipe at the tanned wolf that refused to get out of its way, and then leapt at the white wolf, catching its ear. The white wolf howled angrily and tried to catch the golden wolf’s neck to place it back into submission, but the golden wolf got to the other first. There was a sudden hush from the pack members, most of them unable to comprehend that  _ ‘the Mutt’ _ had even been able to overpower Xemnas in any kind of way. Something in Roxas awoke for a moment, and the golden wolf tore away from the white wolf’s throat. It hurried toward Isa’s body and as careful as it could while hurrying, gripped the body between its teeth.

  
_ Vanitas. _ Roxas sobbed to his wolf, and it took off to the only safe place it knew of. The wolf ran as hard as it could, trying to be conscious of the body in its mouth as to not harm Isa further.  _ Hurry wolf… Hurry we’re losing him! _ Roxas begged his wolf, and the golden wolf sprinted as fast as it ever had. The south town treeline was coming into sight, and the wolf charged through the entrance. The people around screamed in a panic. “Call the Hunters! The killer wolf is here! It’s got something in its mouth! Monster!” The screaming alerted the Hunters, and even Vanitas hurried outside. The wolf skidded to a stop, a low whimper rumbled through it. Vanitas had a knife at the ready in his good hand, a group of Treaty wolves and Hunters surrounding the golden wolf. A man came out of Vanitas’s house with silver hair and a dark look on his face. He stepped beside Vanitas with a blade in his hand. The wolf shook violently and it laid Isa down as gently as it could and a long mourning howl like a pained cry erupted from it. Vanitas faltered for a moment, eyes widening as if he had recognized the golden wolf’s howl from somewhere.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding out truths, secrets, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally been able to get online again, and here we are. Chapter 6. I am sorry it took me so long to return, but i am ready and motivated again to finish this beloved story of mine.   
> Thank you for the patience and enjoy!  
> -Fox

Xion sprinted out of the house, avoiding Vanitas’s grasping to stop her. He looked surprised as she turned on all the people, arms spread out in order to protect the wolf. “He’s our friend! Don’t attack him!” 

 

Vanitas’s jaw dropped, and he really looked at the golden wolf. The wolf cried again, nudging Isa’s limp body frantically. “Uncle, call Dr. Lea right this minute! We need to get this man to him! He’s dying, please!” Xion begged, tears springing to her eyes. 

 

The silver haired man, Xion and Vanitas’s uncle, looked surprised for a moment, startled by his niece’s unwavering trust in the wolf that looked identical to the one in the warning photograph. He ordered for a couple of men to go ahead and get the doctor. He cautiously looked at the golden wolf, before looking at his niece. Riku made a step towards the unconscious man, but the golden wolf's hackles raised with a distressed distrust. He held his hands up as a sign that he meant no harm, and waved for the rest of the men to carefully help him pick up the man. 

 

Xion wrapped her arms around the golden wolf the best she could to calm it down as the men took its father away. The wolf saw Vanitas’s arm fall limp at his side. 

“Goldie…?” Something in the ravenette’s eyes screamed betrayal and he looked away from the wolf. The wolf’s mourning howl erupted from it again, and Roxas shifted back, bloodied and screaming with all the energy he had left. Vanitas’s eyes shot over toward Roxas and he looked as though he was going to move towards him. He wobbled a step forward and crumpled to his knees. Seeing Roxas so torn up seemed to shake Vanitas to his core, werewolf or not. 

 

Roxas couldn’t focus. He shook in Xion’s arms, screaming. Hot tears continuously fell from his eyes, and he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t stop the screaming, couldn’t feel sorry for Xion’s ears as she held him, couldn’t stop the pain that was tearing up his body from the inside out. 

 

Vanitas inched closer as his agonizing screams continued, and Roxas instinctively reached for the ravenette. Vanitas took Roxas from his sister, a mixture of sadness, confusion, and disbelief mixing in those amber eyes. But he held onto Roxas tightly, ignoring the ringing in his ears. Roxas’s throat started to burn, and after a moment longer, his vision began to swim and he blacked out.

 

-

 

Vanitas felt a surge of emotions pass through him, staring down at Roxas with disbelief. The very same Roxas that was a hulking wolf with surprisingly golden fur. His Goldie, keeping such a giant secret from him of all people. Dread filled his mind as he turned to his sister and knew that she had known since the first day Roxas awkwardly stumbled into their lives. He looked away, another wave of betrayal flowing through him before he looked down at the soft tan cheeks, stained with tear streaks. He carefully adjusted Roxas to lift him, ignoring the burning pain in his still mending arm, and headed toward the house. Vanitas hid the wince from the sudden pressure on his bad arm, grinding his teeth. 

 

Xion gaped at her brother, but soundlessly opened the door and followed him inside. When he didn't go for the living room, she started to head for her own room, but he looked impatiently at his own door. A strange possessive feeling wouldn't allow him to place the blond anywhere else. Xion looked mildly surprised, but opened his door and quickly moved out of his way. He laid the blond down and took off his jacket, draping it over Roxas's chest before quietly leaving the room and shutting the door. It was silent for a long time while the siblings stood in the hallway. Xion looked at the ground, sniffling back her tears. "He didn't want me to tell you," she started. Her voice broke for a moment before she was able to continue. "He had been trying to work up the nerve to tell you properly, because you were the one person he trusted most. He didn't want you to turn on him." 

 

Vanitas was silent, allowing her to speak her piece. He had originally planned to tell her off after she finished, but something held him back.  _ Of course he would think some stupid thing like that. _ He tried to stay mad, hurt by the lies that almost cost his blond his life, but the weird possessiveness came back. Everything was starting to make sense. The reasons he never wanted to actually spar with anyone, the weirdly convenient timing for "camping trips," the unease at touching any Hunter's weapon. Something else gnawed at the back of his mind.

 

The throbbing in his arm brought his senses back. Carrying Roxas like that had reminded him that his arm definitely wasn’t anywhere near healed. That thought had him still. Vanitas looked over at the door where the blond rested, and the thought gnawing at him became apparent. That time in the woods, when he had stupidly ventured in alone at night stubbornly, against his uncle’s wishes. He came upon the tan wolf, and almost died. But a golden wolf had come to his rescue, protected him and even brought him home.  _ Home. How had it even known? It couldn’t be… _ “He was the one who saved me in the forest, wasn’t he.” His voice was uneven but the words came out as a statement. His sister watched him, before looking toward the door to his room. He watched the memory of the incident flash through her eyes, saw her recollecting the events.

 

“He called out for me, and I had alerted Uncle Riku when he dropped you by the gate. He didn’t want to be seen, but he was very worried about you,” she mumbled, a soft flush dusting her cheeks.

 

 He felt warmth grow in his chest but scoffed to hide the odd satisfaction that brought him. He had thought it was weird that some werewolf would just randomly help him, especially one that wasn’t a Treaty Wolf. The way it had growled at him as if to chide him for being out there alone.  _ That idiot. Why couldn’t he just tell me? We could have figured everything out together. He didn’t need to be alone in this. _ He turned, looking to the front door with a determined flicker in his eyes. 

 

“Don’t you think about doing anything stupid,” Xion said. “We should check in at Dr. Lea’s.” He shook his head, making a face at his sister.

 

“Well duh. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid… Yet. But I need to make sure his  _ Dad _ is okay. We need to figure out what to do next too, because a good majority of the town saw his wolf. Thankfully, not him though.” Vanitas moved to lay a hand on his door, envisioning the unconscious blond on his bed. Heat swirled in his chest before he started for the front door. Xion was on his heels, grabbing the door for him and following him out. The wind outside hit him head on, reminding him how close to winter they were and the fact that he had taken his jacket off to cover Roxas with. As nonchalant as he could, he shivered and started off toward Dr. Lea’s in a brisk walk. Xion gave him a teasing glance and laughed to herself. People watched them warily from their shop windows. “What are they even looking at?” Vanitas muttered under his breath. His sister glanced at the people, smiling softly with reassurance. Some calmed and left to do their business, others stayed put as if to look for the rumored monster to be close by.

 

“You know how it goes. News travels fast with the big mouths here.” Xion nodded towards the houses and shops, a sad smile on her lips. “If only they didn’t believe every word they hear.” They both remained silent the rest of the way, Vanitas’s mind falling back to thoughts of the golden wolf.  _ I just can’t believe it… but those eyes. How could I not see it before? _ He frowned, thinking over and over again about that night. Just when he thought he was going to die, he thought of Roxas and as it would turn out, the blond indeed came to his rescue. His chest tightened at the thought just as they stopped outside of the clinic. Their uncle stood outside, looking up as they approached with a tired look on his face. “You two have  _ a lot _ of explaining to do later,” their uncle murmured, gesturing his head toward the door. Xion sheepishly kicked gravel around with her shoe but Vanitas stood taller, nodding before pushing the clinic door open. 

 

He was instantly assaulted by a strong sterile smell mixed with blood, which was splattered along the floor in a trail toward a back room. He took a step further inside, avoiding the bloody trail, just as Dr. Lea stepped out of the room. The man sighed, wiping the back of a bloodied gloved hand across his forehead. He noticed Vanitas, and peered over his shoulder finding his sister behind him. “We came to check on Isa,” Vanitas said quietly. He wasn’t really sure why he felt the need to be quiet but he walked toward the doctor, peeking inside the room. Dr. Lea moved to the side, leaning against the door jam with a few clicks of his tongue.

 

“So his name is Isa, huh? I’ll have to memorize that for the documents later. The guys made it just in time, he barely made it.” Vanitas stiffened, looking up at the red haired man. Dr. Lea gave him a reassuring smile however, and nudged him forward into the room. “Who do you take me for? Your sister was right to tell them to bring me this…Isa. I have him good and stable.” Vanitas exhaled a breath, and moved farther into the room. It was a shame that he had to meet Isa this way, he had been looking forward to a proper meeting with him. He reached the side of the bed, ignoring the bloodied sheets and clothing discarded all over, and took in the bigger man laying on a cushioned cot. He had bandages in a lot of spots, some soaking through with blood which made him nervous. “Yeah, looks like whoever did this to him used Hunter’s blades,” Dr. Lea said behind him, his voice darker somehow, with disgust. Vanitas felt a similar disgust, a sinking feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach. He looked back at the man, noticing a faded but very prominent X-shaped scar across the middle of his face. He watched the slow rise and fall of his chest and moved to sit in an unoccupied chair by the bed. Xion came in a few minutes later, nervously shifting around until she worked up the courage to see the man. She let out a whimper and he could see her visibly tremble.

 

“A Hunter’s blade did this. But,  _ who _ exactly did all of this?” Vanitas muttered. He looked the man up and down as if the body would give him any clues. “It’s evident whoever did, expected him to be dead after all of it…” he trailed off, noticing a couple jagged lines already healing and turning pink, hidden under some bandages on his lower stomach. “Dr. Lea, what do you think that’s from?” he asked suddenly. The doctor looked over the bandages on Isa’s lower abdomen and hummed thoughtfully. He moved a chair next to Vanitas, and shifted the bandages up to show him.

 

“You know, I was wondering about this myself. It would seem these are a wolf’s claw marks. But why would his own kind attack him unless he’s some kind of rogue?” Dr. Lea looked wary, almost as if he thought Isa to be the dangerous wolf in the warning flyers. Vanitas, however, froze with a sudden realization.  _ His own kind. Those brothers. It has to be. I know Roxas has some sort of scar on his chest he won’t talk about, and now I’m guessing it’s from a Hunter’s blade. But that would mean someone from his pack is using one. _ Vanitas started to grit his teeth in anger. He knew something wasn’t right and he needed to get to the bottom of things. Xion gently touched his shoulder, and he saw her worried expression. He gave her a tight smile and shook his head in an attempt at reassuring her.

 

“Hey leave this man to me okay? I’ll make sure he’s ship shape soon enough, but he’s going to have to stay here for a few days to recover,” Dr. Lea said softly, hinting for Vanitas to go and rest. He looked up and realized a lot more time passed than he thought. He stood with a stretch and looked over the man once more, taking in the soft features that were framed by blue strands of hair.

 

“We should get going anyhow, our uncle is expecting us home. But, thank you, Dr. Lea. Please take good care of him for us,” Vanitas said, unable to express his gratitude well. Xion nodded, unable to look at Isa and followed her brother out of the room. The two stopped just outside of the clinic and exhaled in unison. They looked at each other, having an unspoken conversation. He was happy Xion was with him even now, werewolf or not he would never let harm come to her. “Let’s get home, Shi, we have a long conversation awaiting us,” he muttered exasperatedly. Xion laughed softly, and nodded. They hurried home as the evening air began to get colder. Their uncle was sitting in the living room awaiting them when they walked inside. Vanitas shuddered hard to get the blood flowing back into his frozen limbs, making a mental note to have a spare jacket on hand near the door next time.  _ I really hope there won’t be a next time… _ He shook his head, and followed his sister reluctantly into the living room.

 

Riku had an expectant look on his face, and both the siblings shared a guilty look with each other. “So, explain to me why we’re harboring two outsiders, who I've never met before, instead of turning them in?” Their uncle looked toward the door to the hallway, Vanitas realizing Riku knew where Roxas was. He stood up quickly, a dark possessive look shadowing his face. His uncle looked surprised and held up a hand to calm him. “Don’t worry Vanitas, I left the boy right where he is, untouched and safe. However, that reaction is rather intriguing considering hours ago you were ready to tear the wolf to pieces like the rest of us.” His uncle looked at both of them, watching Vanitas relax with an embarrassed flush tinting his cheeks.

 

“He isn’t what you think uncle, I was the first to meet him.” Xion spoke quietly. Riku looked at his niece, letting her say her piece. “It was the first time I'd ever seen a werewolf not of the Treaty pack, and he was looking at the message boards with the most pained expression. He was searching it up and down.” She paused, smiling at the memory she was reliving. Vanitas felt a pang of jealousy hit him and it made him freeze with confusion.  _ What is with me lately? I don’t understand why I keep acting like a nutcase. _ “He was investigating the murders, taking it into his own hands. He didn’t want to be blamed for them anymore and didn’t want any more humans to die. I remember him being avid about that.” She looked over at Vanitas, a grin forming her lips. He blinked out of confusion. “I told him that I knew someone who also was wanting to look into the murders, and introduced him to Vanitas. We had a late lunch. He was so skittish, like he’d never interacted with people before.” Vanitas gasped, warmth filling his face. He grumbled something of a response to confirm what Xion had said thus far when their uncle looked at him.

 

“He didn’t want anyone to know, or any of the wolves that noticed to say anything about him being a wolf. He didn’t want to frighten them, and I could tell he meant no harm,” Xion continued. Riku listened intently, the two took turns talking about the adventures they had experienced with the blond. Vanitas spoke highly of Roxas, explaining how quickly he picked up training and how surprisingly gentle he was with the trainees. “He was the strange boy with Vanitas. They found the bodies, because Roxas is obviously a great tracker,” his sister added, and they continued their stories. Before long, their uncle had the full gist of how they had been spending their time while he was on missions. Riku sighed, considering how the siblings talked up the wolf boy. Vanitas went quiet, a thought processing before he shifted uncomfortably and looked up at his uncle with a seriousness that surprised the man.

 

“I think his pack is… the Black Pack,” Vanitas started, his uncle’s face darkening. He continued quickly before his uncle got the wrong idea. “Before you get all weird, I think they abuse him, uncle. There’s something not right, you had to have seen his wolf Dad, he had wolf claw marks on him.” His uncle tried to relax at his words, but he could tell he was on edge. “And well, not to make matters worse, but he’s the brother that dick, Ventus, ‘lost’.” Riku’s eyes widened at that revelation. “He told me so himself, when they were eight, a wolf attacked Roxas and he told Ventus to run away and save himself.” A new dislike for Ventus formed.  _ Eight years old or not, I just don’t like that asshole. _ All three of them were silent for a moment. They didn’t look at one another, just objects in the room, all of them thinking about the events of the day. Their uncle stood slowly, turning to look at the door to the hallway. Vanitas stood, unsure what his uncle was thinking but ready to stop him if he needed. Riku gave his nephew a funny look, and Vanitas stiffened, unsure of what that look meant.

 

“You really care about this boy,” his uncle replied matter-of-fact. The dark blush was unavoidable and Vanitas tried to hide his face the best he could without being obvious, though his ears gave him away. Riku laughed softly, before sighing in thought. “Well, I can't justify sending an unconscious boy into the freezing cold. Wolf or not, he could get sick. And you two seem to trust him unconditionally. Let’s keep this under wraps for the time being. However, I will be getting Leader Xehanort and Eraqus involved.” The siblings looked relieved, Vanitas still avoiding his uncle’s gaze. “Get some rest, and we will discuss more when Eraqus arrives in the morning.” Riku ruffled Xion’s and Vanitas’s hair, turning in for the night.

 

Xion excused herself after their uncle, hugging her brother with a small smile of relief. Vanitas nodded to her, and pushed her gently toward the door. “Go on, get some sleep, Shi, you’ve been through a lot,” he murmured. She looked at him with affection and pecked his cheek before heading to her room. He stood in the hallway, absently thinking about the day and how suddenly exhausted he felt. He went to his room and walked in before pausing, staring at his bed. The unconscious blond was still there where he had left him. His chest was moving slowly up and down to Vanitas’s relief, and he moved his desk chair beside the bed. He watched over Roxas, so many emotions raining down on him. He still felt the sting of betrayal, but there were much stronger, more confusing emotions that outweighed any amount of negative feelings. “Goldie, why are you such an idiot? Why couldn’t you just trust me? Why was I the only one out of the loop?” He felt foolish talking to Roxas like this, but he needed this time because he’d never be able to look into those blue eyes and say them to his face. At least, not without punching him. “We spent the most time together. I know Shi is a wolf so she had the advantage, but I would never hurt you. I just don’t understand why you’re so infuriatingly stupid.”  _ No… That’s not what I mean… _ He scrubbed a hand down his face with an aggravated sigh. Suddenly the blond mumbled in his sleep.

 

“Van...itas…”

 

Vanitas felt warmth fill him from head to toe. He groaned with frustration and looked down at the blond, his chest tightening.  _ That’s so fucking unfair. _ “Goldie… you’re safe now.” He reached out, gently brushing away a stray piece of blond hair and heard a soft purring noise rumbling from Roxas. He quickly stood up from the chair stumbling backwards, unable to comprehend what he had heard.  _ He purred! That… that goddamn idiot! _ He grabbed an extra blanket from his closet and quickly retreated to the living room, collapsing onto the couch. His body remained warm as he thought about the noise and how it reminded him of all the times Roxas would make a noise he always assumed was his stomach growling. The realization that he had been purring a lot of those times made his heart beat faster. “What the hell is wrong with me…?” He laid a hand to his chest, his eyebrows furrowed. He willed the warmth in his body to dissipate and with a frustrated sigh he attempted to get some sleep.

  
  


The next day, around late afternoon, Xehanort and Eraqus visited the house. Everyone sat in the living room quietly, the two men just having sat through the siblings retelling their story. Xehanort looked interested in the fact that Roxas was the lost son of Aqua and Terra. However Eraqus didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. “Era, you seem to have already known,” Xehanort murmured after a moment, assessing his partner. Eraqus gave the two a smile, Xion sitting on the floor beside him happily. He gave her head a gentle pet, looking over at Xehanort and Riku. Vanitas recalled the time Eraqus watched Roxas as he told them the lore about the Witch and the Werewolves. Of course Eraqus would know Roxas was a wolf, he was a Master and Alpha of the Treaty Wolves.

 

“I admit I must confess some important things,” Eraqus started. Xehanort’s eyes widened in surprise, and their uncle also looked quite surprised. “I know of the boy. In fact, I know the boy more intimately than you all may know. I’ve known of him for quite a long time.” He paused, folding his hands together. “Before I continue, I must ask that none of this be repeated to the boy.” They all nodded in agreeance to his request. Eraqus smiled at the siblings affectionately before turning to face his partner and Riku. “The boy is my grandson.” In an instant, the room went silent. Vanitas and Xion’s jaws were dropped in surprise. Vanitas was bustling with questions he had to bite down to allow the black wolf man to continue. “Terra is my son. Though he will never admit that to anyone. His wife forbid him from ever telling the boys of me, even made him renounce his own wolf to be with her. When you find a mate, it’s hard to disobey them. I do not blame him for choosing happiness. I’ve only wanted what’s best for him. But to renounce a gift from the witch who blessed us, to take his own child at the wish of his wife, and have the witch make his wolf dormant as well...” Eraqus grew quiet. The room was thick with sudden tenseness. Xehanort watched Eraqus with shock filling his eyes. Riku was looking between the two, towards the door where Roxas was still lying unconscious.

 

That fact had worried Vanitas all day, to the point he called Dr. Lea to check on him. The good doctor told him that the boy just needed rest after such a trauma and reassured him. “I was surprised to see that the boy was alive, and a wolf of all things.” Eraqus finally spoke again. “We have to protect him. Not because he is my grandson, but because of so many things.” Xion looked confused for a moment, and Vanitas shook his head at all this new information. “Wait, but what about Ventus? Wouldn’t that make him a werewolf too?” Vanitas asked.  _ Oh the irony. _ Eraqus shook his head. He then gave Xehanort an apologetic smile and launched into a story, explaining a few details that would help them understand. The siblings and their uncle soaked up the story, intrigued by all this lore that hadn’t been documented before.

 

-

 

_ A man held a small toddler in his arms, his eyes pleading with a petite blonde woman. "Please, you were able to make my wolf dorment, please do the same for my son." The man's voice held a distressed urgency to it. The woman regarded him with unrevealing eyes, thinking over the request. "How was he even able to receive the genes and why is it the other child does not?" he asked. The toddler giggled, reaching for the woman with bright curiosity, she smiled gently, wagging her index finger to him before focusing on the man again. _

 

_ "I only made your wolf dormant, that doesn't mean you aren't capable of passing on the genes." She looked transfixed for a moment, lifting her finger out to the boy again. He squealed and grasped her finger, before the man ripped the child further away from her. "As for your second question, twins between a human and werewolf- dormant or not- are rare. Of course the gene is going to choose the strongest of eggs. Especially with your father being an Alpha. You carry Alpha genes by default." She hummed lightly, stroking back a stray lock of blonde hair before moving away to her desk. "To think, you want to stunt the child. He could be a strong adversary." The man looked at the child, unable to hide the disgusted look that passed through his features. _

 

_ "The reason I came to you in the past was because my mat- my wife and I despise werewolves. Why would we allow one to dwell in our home?" He said the words as cold as he could muster, but the woman could see the paternal conflict in his eyes. He obviously wanted to protect the child, she could see the vague affection in him, but was raging a war within himself. He looked as lost as he had when he was younger and came in search of her before. He had been so in love with that woman, the same woman that felt the mate bond but refused to accept him until he did this for her. The blonde shook her head, a growing displeasure filling her features. _

 

_ "When my ancestor gifted the wolves with the ability to be human, it was to be a gift. A thank you to the wolves for housing her in their packs. Your father still visits her tree, placing gifts as thanks. But you, you would rather give up a gift and throw it back in her face." Though her voice was light, judgement laced every sentence. The man's eyes flashed and heat crept up into his cheeks. _

 

_ "That thing is not my father. I do not have a father," he snapped. The words were full of shame, but he refused to acknowledge his family lineage. His human mother had died in childbirth and he somehow blamed his father for it. The woman looked sad for a moment and she lifted her arms up. The toddler appeared in her grasp, surprising the man. The child giggled, ever so gently patting her cheek with a small hand with curiosity. She smiled at the boy, cuddling close and placing their foreheads together. She glanced over at the man, her eyes growing sad once again. _

 

_ "You seek to be the same thing that destroys your kind." She held one hand up to stop him from interjecting. "You want your son to have the same fate. This one has so much potential." The man squared up, a dark focused look forming his face. He was set in his decision. She took a deep breath, and looked into the boys eyes. Blue as the ocean stared back at her with pure innocence and her chest ached. "For one son, the other will bare the sins of your choices." She said the words to the man, placing a thumb to the middle of the boy's forehead. The toddler reached up to touch her arm but his hands never made it to her skin. They fell to his sides and he slumped over in her arm. She inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath and she turned to the man. "Do not ever come back here." _

 

_ He took the boy gently in his arms, a weak smile on his face. The woman didn't smile back, but turned her back to him hiding her tears. Such a small child. "Thank you Naminé," he mumbled. He waited a few minutes, but she didn't respond or look at him again. He quietly took his leave. He managed to walk a few miles before his wife and another toddler waited for him under a big tree. The woman looked disinterested, holding her toddler protectively to her chest. She eyed the sleeping child in the man's arms and took a step back cautiously. "It's done. He isn't going to change," the man replied quietly, the toddler stirring. The woman looked skeptical but nodded, moving next to him. She distanced herself from the other child but walked beside her husband, heading home. _

 

_ - _

 

The scent of Vanitas is what first assaulted Roxas's senses as he woke up. He groaned and sat up weakly, taking in his surroundings. "What a weird dream… wait a minute-" Shock went through him as he realized he was in Vanitas's bed. A coat slid down into a crumpled up pile in his lap.  _ This is Vanitas's coat! _ Without thinking, he lifted the coat to his nose, a soft rumble of satisfaction vibrated through him. He looked around again, the room dark, only a sliver of light poking out from under his door. He heard the soft murmuring of voices, one he pinpointed as Vanitas, and he felt warmth swirl in his stomach.  _ Wait. Why am I here? _ He tried to remember what had happened before and a flash of Isa's broken body came into his memory. He began to hyperventilate, forgetting the calm of Vanitas, his wolf wrecking his ribcage. He gripped his head and screamed with agony. " _ Dad _ !" He repeatedly cried out.

 

The door swung open, but Roxas couldn't control his raging emotions. Vanitas was at his side instantly, concern painted on his face. Roxas felt a hand on his back and realized someone was speaking to him. "He’s okay, Goldie, he’s okay. Isa is with the doctor, he's okay…" 

 

_Vanitas._ _Vanitas… Vanitas… oh Vanitas help me… help me help me help me…_ Roxas reached out blindly, sobs wracking his body. He could tell Vanitas was at a loss, but felt a warm hand on him. "...Help me," Roxas gasped out. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around him, pulling him close. The sweet scent was so intoxicating, so close. He could feel Vanitas's heartbeat against his chest. Feel the heat of how close his Hunter was. "Goldie." The nickname instantly soothed Roxas. His whole body relaxed in the other's arm and his breathing started to calm. The two sat like this on Vanitas’s bed for a while, only the sound of his own hiccupy breaths filling the room. After what felt like forever, there was the sound of someone clearing their throat and the intoxicating scent moved farther away from him. He felt his body grow cold from the absence of the heat, but his eyes flitted toward the source of the noise, and a silver haired man stood in the doorway.

 

The man sheepishly smiled, a guilty look in his eyes. Vanitas was avoiding both of their gazes, his skin seemed tinted with color. Though when he looked back at the man, their eyes met and he took a cautious step into the room. He held his hands up, but Roxas looked at him more so with curiosity than anything else. He realized his limbs felt sluggish and heavy, so he remained as he sat. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice seemed quiet and hoarse from all the crying and screaming. “Gave us quite the fright, Roxas,” the man said gently. He looked surprised that the man knew his name, and looked over at Vanitas who seemed to have recovered from whatever he had been feeling. The ravenette gave him a reassuring nod. “My name is Riku, I’m Vanitas and Xion’s uncle. I wanted to say thank you for saving this knucklehead from sudden death before.” Riku sent a thumb in Vanitas’s direction. Roxas was surprised that the man seemed to know about all of that, and he looked back at Vanitas for reassurance again. “I think he’s a bit disoriented, Vanitas. Good call on making extra for dinner tonight.” The man looked at Roxas, and smiled gently. “You’ve been out for a couple days, but I wanted to be the first to tell you that your Dad is just fine. He’s still unconscious, but he’s recovering quite fast. Dr. Lea has been working diligently.”

 

Roxas looked surprised and he moved to stand urgently, only to have his legs give out. Vanitas was quick at his side, cursing under his breath when he attempted to catch him with his bad arm. He looked apologetically at Vanitas, but the other just forced a smile with a shake of his head. “Isa…” Roxas managed. The two exchanged a look, and he relaxed in Vanitas’s arms yet again. Riku was watching their exchange, a funny look on his face. Roxas looked over at him as he reached out to help Roxas up. The man wrapped an arm around Roxas, holding him up as if he weighed nothing at all. 

 

“Come on you two. Let’s get some food in your body, Roxas. You need your strength back.” The man started to move with him, helping him out into the hallway and then into the familiar kitchen. When Xion turned with a pot of food, she about dropped it at the sight of him being held up by her uncle. “Whoa, you two are killing me here. He’s fine, don’t gawk at him,” the man said with a soft laugh. Roxas made a mental note of how kind their uncle seemed to be. The man helped him into a chair at the table and Vanitas instantly took the seat beside him. Xion smiled after she calmed down and placed all the food on the table before taking the seat across from Roxas. It almost felt like old times. 

 

“Eat up moron, you’re more annoying when you aren’t being your usual idiot self,” Vanitas said lightly, awkwardly making himself a plate with one hand. Roxas looked at him in surprise, suddenly thinking about how normal Vanitas was being toward him. He felt the shame twisting in his gut and he shakily pushed his plate away. The three looked at him in concern, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at any of them. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Vanitas snapped, gaining his attention. He was confused as food pressed against his mouth. Vanitas had a spoonful of mashed potatoes and pressed it to his lips forcefully. Without thinking, he opened his mouth and took the food. He blinked back tears, a hunger growing in him as the flavors of the food seduced his taste buds. The other looked shocked, looking toward his sibling and uncle for help.

 

“Roxas, we know… it’s okay. You had your reasons for keeping it a secret, and we will respect that. So please eat and get better,” Riku spoke in a parental voice. Roxas looked over at the man, and the tears began to flow freely. He felt so many things as he reached out to shovel more food onto a fork and eat. Pain, shame, love, affectionate, confusion, anger, hurt. He felt it all, and it swept him away. The three looked relieved to see him eating so obediently, that they looked at their own plates and let him feel and cry. He appreciated the moment they allowed him. The next thing that hit him was the extreme urge to see Isa.  _ I need to see him for myself. _ He attempted to clear his throat to speak.

 

“I… I want to see Isa.” He was relieved that his voice cooperated with him. Xion looked at her uncle, and he seemed to consider the request. “I need to make sure… that he is okay with my own eyes.” The man looked like he understood this and smiled. The man looked at Vanitas who seemed to already know what he was going to ask. 

 

“Don’t worry, I'll bring him. Don’t need him flopping around the village.” Roxas felt the laugh bubble up before he heard it, and Vanitas looked at him with that grin he had come to love so much. Xion was laughing too, tears in her eyes. He looked at her but he could tell she had been worried for him too. She smiled widely at him and gave him a thumbs up. “It’s been a while since I got to hear that stupid laugh,” Vanitas murmured. He was shoveling food into his mouth quickly to hide the smile he had on his lips. Roxas started to feel a little bit more relaxed, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He just needed to check on Isa and figure out where to go from there. The thought of seeing Isa made him tense with nerves and he quickly ate so he could leave sooner.

 

After a few stretches, and stumbling back and forth in the hallway, Roxas was finally able to balance on his legs again. Riku and Vanitas seemed surprised by the quickness, but Xion only smiled with understanding. The perks of being a werewolf, they guessed. Roxas’s wolf stirred, as if finally awakening from a deep slumber and he felt his energy spike.  _ Never thought I’d be so happy to say good morning to you wolf. _ With a few more stretches and some coats, he and Vanitas set out to the village clinic.

 

The walk was quiet, and he was conscious of everything, including the fact that he was wearing Vanitas’s coat that had been draped on him when he was unconscious. The sweet smell was driving his wolf to wake more, and for once he was grateful that Vanitas was his mate. He never realized how much he would miss the wolf if it had gone away.  _ Looks like we’ve warmed up to each other finally. Only took ten years. _ Roxas chuckled to himself and Vanitas looked over at him curiously. “Good to know you’re still a weirdo,” the other said after a minute, smiling as he looked out toward the shops. Roxas felt his chest warm and he laughed again.

 

“Glad to know you’re still a grouch,” he countered. The two stop for a moment and shared a laugh as if the past week never happened. Then Vanitas was looking at him with a weird look, and he looked down to avoid his gaze. “I’m sorry I never told you. I wanted to, but it’s difficult to explain.” Vanitas was silent for a moment, and he looked up to see that the other was looking away. He could see the hurt in those amber eyes and a sting of pain filled his chest. He turned to continue walking to avoid anymore of the pain, but Vanitas reached out and took his hand. At the touch, he felt a tingling that shot up his arm and swirled in the pit of his stomach. He looked back at Vanitas, and saw the hurt in the other’s eyes along with something else he couldn’t quite place. 

 

“Yeah, I'm hurt that you thought I'd hurt you if I had found out. And yeah, I'm hurt that it took you so long. But, I’m so glad that you thought of coming here as soon as something bad happened.” Vanitas looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped there. They stood like that for a moment, Vanitas holding his hand and looking at him in such a way that made his heart clench. Then the ravenette seemed to realize what he was doing and he quickly released Roxas’s hand. “Cause you know, you’re such an idiot. Good to know you can be smart sometimes.” Roxas blinked a couple times in surprise and laughed, turning back to walk to the clinic.

 

“Oh gee, thanks for that,” Roxas said jokingly with another laugh. They continued a little further until they reached a small building with a sign on the door.  **Closed** . Roxas looked at the other, but Vanitas seemed to ignore the sign and pushed right on in, a small chime relaying that people were entering the building. A redheaded man stepped out of a room in the back, confusion eased into recollection as he saw Vanitas. He looked over at Roxas and seemed to recognize him somehow. “Um… Hello I’m here for-”

 

“Well, you guys really do heal up fast don’t you?” The redhead interrupted with a tired grin. Roxas was confused and tilted his head, trying to remember if he had ever seen this man before. “You know, you gave this guy anxiety from high hell. You didn’t wake up not once in three days and I was called every hour until I finally came over to check on you myself.” Vanitas made an embarrassed choking sound that he hid with a scoff but the redhead only grinned. Roxas felt warmth in his cheeks but shook his head quickly. “Oh I know, I know. You must be dying to see him. Come on kid.” The energetic man didn’t even give him time to process or speak before he pulled him along to the room he had come out of. Roxas froze in the doorway, staring at the mounds of discarded bandages and then at the man who meant more to him than anything else. “The stab wound in the back was the worst of it but it missed all of his vital organs. Also, you know, it took all this time, but the blood is finally starting to settle down. I haven’t had to change his bandages half as much.” The man seemed to be relieved by this fact. Roxas finally got the courage to walk to the chair beside the bed and sit. He was surprised to find out how warm the seat was. He looked over at the redhead but the man was being pulled out of the room with Vanitas. The other gave him a reassuring smile and shut the door behind them.

 

Vanitas was trying to give him some alone time with Isa, and that thought warmed him. He looked over at his wolf father and felt pain wreck his chest again. Some cuts seemed to be fading quite nicely, however there were deeper cuts obviously made by a Hunter’s blade. They still bled and would never heal past an ugly scar. When he saw ---- again he was going to tear their throat open, and no one was going to stop him. He felt the rage burning up in both him and his wolf, before that mourning howl vibrated through his chest. He reached out and gently stroked Isa’s nose right in the middle where the scar met. “You have to hurry up and heal. You’re the only family I have left, Isa. I don’t know if I ever truly told you, but you are the closest to a father that I've ever had. Including when I was human.” He took a deep breath to keep from choking on a sob before continuing. “I love you so much Dad. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me again. You were hurt again because of me.” Before he knew it, his hand was trembling against Isa’s cheek and he was sobbing. 

 

He cried for a while, taking Isa’s hand into his own.  _ We almost lost him wolf. We almost lost the one true thing in our life. _ The wolf was distraught over the potential loss and tried to comfort Roxas, sending tingles under his skin. He was grateful that Vanitas and the doctor left him with Isa alone, but he was also grateful that he had his wolf. “Isa, please wake soon.” He murmured once he calmed down. He stood and leaned forward to kiss Isa’s forehead before moving toward the door. He looked back once more to look at his unconscious father, but smiled sadly, opening the door. When he walked out into the hallway, the redhead man peeked into the room before smiling at him.

 

“Feeling any better then? By the way, I realize with you being unconscious before and all that, that you wouldn’t know who I am. The name’s Lea. Make sure to memorize that for future encounters, okay?” The man, Lea, gave Roxas a cheeky smile before shoving the two boys down the hall. “Now, as you can see the clinic is closed so if you could kindly exit so I can finally lock up.” Vanitas shook his head but let out a laugh, and he mumbled a light insult toward the doctor. Roxas said his thank you quickly before Lea shut the door and the lock clicked in place.  _ What a weird guy… But at least he seems to be taking good care of Isa. I just hope he doesn’t wear himself out too much, he seems to be staying here to watch over him. _

 

“I know Dr. Lea is a giant moron but surprisingly, he’s a great doctor. I know Isa is in good hands,” Vanitas said on the walk back to his house. Roxas laughed, nodding in agreement. They seemed to be back to normal since earlier on their walk to the clinic, and he was relieved by the ease of tension between them. They made jabs at each other, teasing and nudging each other the whole way back. Just as they walked inside the house, he froze causing Vanitas to pause. “What?” But before he could answer, the wolf man from a few weeks ago steps into the hallway. Eraqus. They make eye contact and hold it for a while, neither moving or saying anything, but he notices that knowing look again. Vanitas looks uneased by the sudden visit so late at night. When another unfamiliar man steps out into the hallway next to Master Eraqus, Vanitas really starts to look uncomfortable. “Leader Xehanort, Master Eraqus, what are you two doing here?” 

 

“Unfortunately, we have news. Come into the living room boys,” Xehanort, Vanitas’s teacher, said motioning for the two to follow. They obeyed, Eraqus watching over Roxas as he passed him to get into the living room. Something about the man made him feel surprisingly at ease but he figured it was because he was also a wolf. Xion sat next to her uncle, both looking sullen. Though when the silver haired man saw Roxas he gave him a smile. “How is your father?” Riku asked. Roxas was grateful for the question and relayed how he was doing. Vanitas seemed to be more and more unsettled by the visitors being in his home at such a late hour that it started making Roxas uncomfortable and he turned to the two men.

 

“It would seem that beyond our control, word has reached the North clan. They are heading this way as we speak in search of the ‘wolf who attacked the South town’. I don’t know who exactly got the message out there, but it would seem it was someone who saw the boy come in the day it happened. However, it would seem that no one saw him shift back,” Xehanort spoke, reading off part of a letter that had been sent to him. Roxas felt all the blood rush from his face, and Vanitas looked no better. In fact, when Roxas looked at him, he looked like he was fighting between nausea and breaking something.

 

“That means  _ he’s _ going to be there. I won’t let him take over like he owns the place, Leader,” Vanitas snapped vehemently. Roxas jumped and thought to himself with confusion.  _ He? Who is he? _ As if reading his mind, Vanitas looked over at him with that dark look in his eyes. He knew then as the words left his mouth, who  _ he _ was.  _ Ventus. _ “Fucking Ventus.” Roxas felt his breath hitch, and he looked around at the adult faces for confirmation. Unfortunately they all looked nonreassuring. “We need to start planning. Because like hell will I give Goldie up like that.” Xion chirped in agreement with her brother, and Roxas felt warm from the back up of his friends.

 

“Please, my brother has no idea I'm alive, I don't want him to know. Is there any way I could hide here Mr. Riku?” Roxas pleaded, looking at the silver haired man. Vanitas turned to his uncle, Xion also looking at him with concern evident in her eyes. The man looked at all three kids, and then at the two other adults in the room. He settled back on looking at Roxas, a smile on his face. 

 

“I almost choked your brother to death. I would rather you stay here, than that happening again.” The remark took Roxas by surprise. He felt delighted, but also concerned. He could see where Vanitas got his aggressive side from suddenly. The other two men seem to have paused recalling the incident. Xehanort chuckled to himself, Eraqus looking quite guilty himself. “We will tell you the story another time. However we need to come up with some kind of plan for when they arrive. Ventus and the Leader of the North clan aren’t ones to just turn around without what they want.” Riku looked frustrated, his eyebrows furrowing. Vanitas’s eyebrows identical, a scowl twisting his lips. Roxas felt strangely at ease, and he felt himself starting to trust these people now that his secret was out. 

 

“You children should go get rest for now, we will discuss further and figure out from here how to go about business,” Xehanort said, gesturing toward the door to the hallway. Vanitas looked offended that he wasn’t being invited to discuss plans, but when Roxas stood up with Xion, he begrudgingly stood up and followed Roxas to his room. Xion hugged Roxas tightly and said goodnight before making her way to her room, and Vanitas opened his door to invite Roxas in.

 

They both took a seat on the bed, Vanitas looking over at him and seeing through him easily. “It’s okay to be nervous. That fucker is coming into this town, invading our space. It would be a pain for him to find you like this,” Vanitas muttered. Roxas sighed, looking at the ravenette. The other reached out, his fingers brushing the scar on his cheek from when Ventus shot at his wolf. He froze, afraid to move, partially afraid that Vanitas would pull away his hand. They sat like this, silently and looking at each other. The other looked like he was going to say something, that weird emotion in his eyes again. Instead, he retracted his hand to Roxas’s dismay and stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh…” He cleared his throat before he continued, “I’m going to go crash on Shi’s floor, you can have the bed. Goodnight Goldie.” He watched the ravenette fidget around before grabbing a folded up blanket from the closet and disappearing quickly out the door.

 

Roxas stared at the empty space for a few more seconds before turning and burying his face into the pillow. “Wolf, he is going to be the death of us.” He said, his groan muffled. The wolf seemed to be in agreement, the stress from the past few weeks putting a hold on it’s desire to finish the mating with Vanitas. Roxas rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling and frowned. “Ventus will be here by morning. I just hope he won’t do anything regretful or try to hurt Isa.” The fear began to eat away at him, keeping him awake longer than he wanted even though he was still pretty exhausted.

 

  
“I just hope Isa wakes up soon, so we can get back to taking ---- down.”


End file.
